When He Reids Me My Rights
by SilyFrangelina91
Summary: The CIA and the BAU have to work together to save 2 federal agents from the wrath of 3 criminal groups whose leaders were put away by government officials including a young CIA agent that has an unexpected connection to Dr. Spencer Reid. Reid's whole life changes forever when this CIA agent comes back into his life with information he never expected. Rated M for later chapters ;)
1. Chapter 1: Life Unexpected

The FBI Headquarters is in uproar when Dr. Spencer Reid walks in this Tuesday morning. Everyone is moving quickly and the number of people in the office is triple the amount of the usual personnel. Reid is about to find Hotchner to ask about the chaos when Morgan walks in behind him.

"What the…? Kid, do you know what's going on?"

"No, I just got here. But it looks like we're not the only ones on this case."

"Yeah, I can see that. Let's go in the BAU room and see if they're ready for us."

As the pair gets closer to the conference room, they can hear yelling.

"…this was none of your concern!" a female voice states vehemently.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, it involves one of our agents," Aaron Hotchner states coolly.

"The CIA has had this under control for the past two and a half years. What makes you think we need help now?"

"You haven't been able to live your life for the past two and a half years. The BAU can help."

"No…"

At that moment, Reid and Morgan enter the room which makes the female speaker quiet her speech. The rest of the team is in the meeting room already with a few members of the CIA but everyone remains silent except for Hotchner and the female CIA agent.

"What's going on?" Derek says with apparent upset at the female CIA agent's tone towards Hotchner.

"SSA Derek Morgan meet SSA Serena Ryan" Hotchner says quickly halting Morgan's oncoming hostility.

"This is Dr. Spencer Reid." Morgan adds pointing to Reid who has yet to comment.

"She knows who I am." Reid says slightly cold and with mild hurt in his voice.

Morgan looks from Reid to Ryan then to Hotchner. "Okay, I'm going to ask again. What is going on here?"

"Everyone sit down and let's discuss the case."

"Actually I'm not feeling well…" Reid states.

"Reid, unfortunately, I can't let you go home right now so sit down."

Reid hesitantly takes a seat. Ryan frowns and continues to stand while Garcia grabs the remote, "May I?" Ryan nods and takes one of the extra chairs behind JJ.

"Okay, two and a half years ago, three criminal organizations joined forces to take down specific government officials that were involved in the arrests of prominent members of each three groups. At the time of the arrests, several members were able to go into hiding and we have no way of knowing how many still exist. Over the past couple of weeks, a dozen government officials and easily accessible family members were murdered through car explosions, home invasion murders, and dismemberment. Under any other circumstance, these would appear separate unrelated events. However, considering the victims and styles of murder that are unique to the three groups, it appears they've come back with a vengeance."

"I understand the problem but how is this a BAU case?" Morgan asks.

"It involves one of our team members." Garcia answers quickly.

"Who?"

"Well, the list of government personnel who worked on the operation was of course readily available…"

*cough from a CIA agent*

Garcia continues, "…after a short hack into the CIA database. The number one person in charge of the operation and our criminal groups' end game was listed as Dr. Serena Reid (né Ryan). In an effort to find this agent and ensure everyone was properly informed, I dug into her life a little bit and found that her husband was listed as none other than our own, Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Spence," JJ breathes.

"Because they've killed so frequently in the last few weeks, we have to make sure you're protected, Reid." Hotchner says.

"Why can't she just finalize the divorce?" Reid says exasperated.

"In regards to your safety, you know it's probably too late for that," Hotchner responds, "Besides, there's something else that Serena needs to tell you."

"Like what? What could she possibly have to say to me?"

"Reid," Garcia pleads.

"I think I need some air," Reid says and leaves the room. Morgan follows behind him.

"Hey! Hey! Kid! Reid!" Morgan calls after Reid as he tries to leave the building but every official stops him from exiting the area. Reid screams in frustration. Morgan comes to his side, "How about we hide out in my office?"

"Fine," Reid says and takes off towards Morgan's office.

"Reid, I'm sorry for what you're going through but man why didn't you tell us you were married?"

Reid shakes his head. "After Maeve, I didn't think there was going to be anyone else. Serena came along at a tough time for me and made everything so much better until three months into our marriage when she does this 180, becomes a whole different person, and demands a divorce…she abandoned me when I was just starting to think I could be happy."

"She didn't give a reason? At all?"

"No. Well, not really. She did start to get incredibly jealous and she blamed her leaving on me deserving someone I actually wanted. It made no sense."

"Wow, when exactly did she ask for the divorce?"

"February 25, 2013 at 2:18pm"

"And that was about two and a half years ago right?"

"Two years, five months, two weeks and five days ago."

"So she left when the three criminal groups were known to have joined together."

Reid frowns, "You don't know that's the reason she left."

"No, I don't. But were you two happy?"

"Very. Until she started getting jealous."

"Reid, you need to talk to her."

"I have a new girlfriend now and I'm happy with her. I don't need to talk to Serena."

"Reid, like it or not, Serena is still your wife…you're going to have to talk to her especially for the sake of this case and for closure if you don't want to continue the relationship. Now, let's go catch up on the case."

Reid frowns and sighs deeply then gets up and follows Morgan back into the BAU conference room.


	2. Chapter 2: Unexpected Arrangements

While Morgan and Reid are in Morgan's Office…

Garcia goes over to where Serena is sitting and stands in front of her with a sappy look on her face. "I know you're really mad at me right now but Reid is my family so I care about him a lot and I think you really need talk to him right now."

Serena narrows her eyes and growls, "Garcia, I am not mad at you…I am livid! This whole thing is none of your business yet somehow you managed to hack over a code so complex that hardcore criminals couldn't even figure it out and now my whole entire life has been turned upside down once again."

"Your life?! What about Reid's life? What about everything he went through? He deserves to know what's going on in his own life."

"Spencer is alive because I have been fighting incredibly hard to keep him that way."

"You could have trusted him. You could have told him about everything you were going through and what needed to be done to keep you all safe."

Serena stands up with tears in her eyes and anger on her face, "Stop it, Garcia! I understand where you are coming from, but this was not and still is not your battle. The only thing we can agree on is that we want to keep Spencer safe. Any other subject needs to be dropped."

Hotchner comes over to the two women. "Serena, I understand that this is your life and you have done everything in your power to keep your family safe, but this is now a case the entire federal government is involved in and you and Reid are officially the responsibility of both the CIA and the BAU."

Serena plops back down in her seat and her tears begin to fall. She puts her head in her hands as JJ makes her way over to hand Serena a tissue. As she wipes her eyes, she concedes, "So what's the plan?"

"The plan is to keep you and Reid safe; however, we don't know how long we are going to have to keep you two protected. In order to save costs on your security, we are going to need you and Reid to live together."

Exasperation crosses Serena's face, "Spencer is not about to let that happen. You're going to have to think of something else."

"There are no other options. The State office has sent us our budget. The two of you are married so the budget reflects protecting a married couple that lives together. Considering there are 20 other government officials that also need protecting, there's no room for any adjustments in any of the budgets."

"Well, let me try to pull some strings. I still have contacts in the State office."

"Serena, I'm aware of your contacts and I can assure you they are the ones who made the decision. This is not going to change."

Serena closes her eyes and puts her head back in her hands.

"Like it or not, you are going to have talk to Reid about everything that's happened since you broke up. Full disclosure is important so that we can give intricate details about your security plans."

"Agent Hotchner, I have complete faith that you can do so without me speaking with him first."

Hotchner nods in response just as Reid and Morgan reenter the room.

"Feeling better?" Hotch asks Reid.

"Yes, thank you." Reid eyes Serena thoughtfully for a split second then takes his seat again.

"Alright, Reid. I was just informing Serena of the new security arrangements for the two of you. Because of the budget restraints of protecting several government officials, we're going to have to ask that you live together during this time."

Reid's face ignites with indignation. He starts to argue but Hotch puts up his hand. "There's no need to argue this. The State office has made this decision. You are a married couple and essential assets to the federal government. You will be protected and you will have to do so together…when you're not at work."

"Great, so nothing in my life is under my control anymore."

"Once we catch these guys, your life will return to normal but for now you are going to have to cooperate."

"Fine, so where are we living?"

"We felt it would be best for you all to live at Serena's house. It's in a remote enough location that will alert us to any suspicious activity and allow us to respond faster. Also, Serena's house has been altered to have safe places to hide in case someone were to invade the home."

Spencer nods, "I'll have to get some things from my place."

"There are still clothes of yours at the house." Serena says shyly, avoiding eye contact.

Spencer shakes his head and smirks but also avoids looking her direction. "I need more than just clothes." Serena nods in response.

"At this point, we're going to have to get someone else to get your bag for you unless Serena doesn't mind accompanied you and your security detail to your place."

"I'm fine with that." Serena responds quickly.

"Alright, Jon and I have some additional things to discuss," Hotchner says of himself and Serena's supervisor SSA Jon Guest, "The rest of my team needs to get together with the CIA agents to get details to help build the profile. Spencer and Serena, I want you two to talk. There is a lot you need to discuss in order to make this process go more smoothly for everyone including yourselves."

Spencer and Serena look at each other as all of the agents file out of the BAU room to work in more open space. Hotchner remains at the door as the last agent exits and turns to Spencer and Serena, "When I come back, I want you two working together. You don't have to be a couple again. You just have to be ready to do your jobs." With that, Hotchner closes the door and leave the young adults to have their first real talk in two and a half years.


	3. Chapter 3: Arrangements w Interruptions

The couple stares at each other in silence for what feels like hours.

"Why don't you start since I've done nothing wrong here?" Spencer says once the silence has reached its peak.

"I'm sorry it was so wrong trying to protect my husband." Serena snarls.

"No, there's nothing wrong with protecting your husband. The wrong you did was not consulting with me before you made a major decision about our relationship."

"It was in everyone's best interest."

"It was in your best interest. It was selfish and immature."

"Immature? Really, Spencer, are we reverting back to taking jabs at my age again?"

"No, I'm not attacking your age. I'm commenting on your actions. I can see how you would be confused since you are acting ten years my junior right now."

Serena fumes, "I've had to make some incredibly important decisions for this country never mind the sacrifices I have made to keep you alive. Excuse me if my actions were not to your satisfaction, but at least you are here to voice your opinions."

Spencer lets out an exasperated laugh and shakes his head. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Serena looks at her estranged husband trying hard not to feel. She knew this was hard on him. She knew if she could go back she would tell him about the threat against his life. But she still believed she had done a good job protecting him. She wasn't going to back down on the fact that her actions only had the best of intentions and kept everyone alive and well today.

"You know, I don't get it," Spencer says all of a sudden, "This is what we both do for a living. How could you feel like you couldn't trust me with this? Why couldn't we fight this together?"

"It was a complicated situation."

"Our lives are full of complicated situations, Serena. What made this one different?"

"The chain of events made it different, Spencer. I received threats. Some of the cases the BAU handled were only intended to get you in certain places at certain times. They knew exactly how to go after you so I had to do something to try to keep you safe. I removed myself from your life as much as possible so they would stop going after you but they kept watching so I've had to keep surveillance on you this entire time. I never left you, Spencer. I've just had to keep my distance."

"You should have told me. My team would have helped."

"This group is a little more sophisticated than your usual serial killers. It took me two years to track them down and catch their leaders in the first place. If you had inserted your team on this, it would have been a death sentence for all of you. I know how much you love your work family. I didn't want to take that from you."

"So, you decided to leave me and break my heart."

Serena could no longer fight her tears. She grabbed a tissue and worked hard to wipe away the tears as they fell.

"I figured if I left you the way I did you wouldn't even miss me. I weighed my options and realized it would be better for you to mourn our relationship for a short while than mourn a team member forever."

"So you thought that my team was more important to me than you?"

"Yes, Spencer, you spend almost all of your time with your team. I spend 50% of my time with my team but you spend 75% of your time with yours. I was okay with only getting 25% because I knew where I stood in your life. Your team comes first."

"The fact that you think that tells me a lot. You were my wife, the only person that truly mattered. If you were in pain, then I should have been there to share that with you and help you through it. Instead you ran away from our problems and decided you could handle everything on your own. I haven't had much experience at this but I know that's not a decision you make in a real relationship."

"Thank you for validating that I'm a horrible wife because I really needed to hear it right now."

"That's not what I'm saying. This one decision was our only problem or at least I thought it was."

"It was just a hard time. It was stressful. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Serena, that's not an excuse for not talking to me."

"Spencer, I was…"

Serena is interrupted by a knock at the door. Anderson peaks his head in, "Dr. Reid?"

Both Serena and Spencer look up. She'd yet to tell him that she kept his last name personally and professionally.

"Ms. Einstein is here requesting to speak with you." Anderson announces.

Spencer looks at Serena.

"Go ahead," Serena say sullenly, "Your girlfriend comes first."

Spencer narrows his eyes at his former lover. She infuriated him so much. He didn't know how someone so smart could come to such uninformed conclusions.

Spencer turns to Anderson. "I'm coming." He looks back to Serena. "We'll finish this later," he says slightly tempered, then says more mildly, "Hotch will kill us if we don't."

Serena nods, waves, and watches her husband walk out the door. Almost as soon as he's gone, Serena's personal assistant comes through the door.

Serena had been working for the federal government since she was 20 after she graduated law school. She started with the State office and moved to the CIA because she wanted to experience work in the field. Serena's ambitions had been fueled by her parents' success. Much like David Rossi, her parents had held positions in the government and law and written books about their exploits. This had allowed Serena to grow up with a fairly affluent lifestyle. Her personal assistant was a part of that lifestyle as she was a gift from her parents when her life had become chaotic due to her work. Her parents knew exactly what she needed because her personal assistant had been a godsend coming at a time when it felt like she had no one else on this earth.

"Hey, are you ready for lunch?" Jenn asked. When she sees Serena's face, she adds quickly, "Hotchner let Spencer take some of the security detail and go to lunch with Dylan so that he could explain the situation to her face to face?"

"Oh, okay. Yeah, I'm ready for lunch. Bring them in."


	4. Chapter 4: Interruptions in Love

Spencer is surprised by how well Dylan is handling the situation.

"Spencer, I get it. It's okay. It's not your fault. Your…Serena should have been straight forward with you from the beginning. I know you wouldn't have pursued a relationship with me if you knew you were still married to her but I'm glad we've gotten to know each other…and I hope once this is all settled that we can continue to do so."

"I want that too. I just hope she doesn't try to fight a divorce especially because it should have been official years ago. Don't get me wrong, I believe in making a relationship work but she made this decision for us and she needs to realize there's no going back."

"You say that now, Spence, but you never know how you may feel once you start spending time with her again…"

"Serena and I are done. I refuse to fall for her tricks again. I don't know how I'm going to manage living with her."

The couple make their way back into the BAU office. Serena is rifling hastily through a bag at Spencer's desk. She pauses when she sees the two approaching and tries to make quick work of vacating the area. However, the couple approaches her before she can leave.

"Dylan, this is Serena Ryan. Serena, this is Dylan Einstein." Spencer states as an introduction.

"Hi," Dylan says as she extends her hand.

"Hi," Serena says in return shaking Dylan's hand then begrudgingly states, "It's actually, Reid. I'm Dr. Serena Reid. It's nice to meet you."

Spencer rolls his eyes at Serena's use of his name but Serena ignores his reaction.

Although they hadn't been together in years, she was still very proud to be his wife and even if they divorced she would keep his name.

"Um, yeah, Spencer was just telling me about that. It's a very interesting situation. I'm sorry you both have to go through this."

"I wouldn't have to if it wasn't for her." Spencer states indignant.

This time Serena rolls her eyes. "Dylan, I'm sorry for what this situation is putting you through too. I really never meant for this to affect as many lives as it has."

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm sure once this is all over Spencer and I will be able to pick back up where we left off."

"Yes, we will," Spencer beams.

Serena nods and smiles. She understands how the couple feels but deep down she knows that she has no intention of letting her husband get back together with his girlfriend when this chaos finally ends. She missed him. She took vows to stay with him no matter the circumstances and that is exactly what she plans to do. "I understand how you feel but I honestly hope you're wrong. I know it's been over two years but I still love my husband and I want nothing more than to continue to be his wife."

Spencer looks at Serena shocked by her admission. He didn't realize how unready he was to hear her say she still loves him. His heart constricts and tears come unbidden into his eyes. "No, you don't. Don't lie."

Serena smirks at Spencer's resistance. "We both know I'm not lying, Spencer." She looks at Dylan. "It really has been a pleasure meeting you." Then, she looks back to Spencer. "I'm going to wrap up a few things then we have to go home so the new security detail can get acquainted with the house and our habits in it."

"Your home. Not mine."

"It was once…and it will be again." Serena starts to walk off on that note. She understands Spencer's feelings but decides that it will not deter her from her goal which is a happy life with her one and only husband.

Spencer sits down at his desk and starts playing with his chess set sullenly. Dylan looks at boyfriend in pain. "Hey, Serena!"

Serena turns around to face Dylan. "Yes?"

"Look, I understand that you've been through a great ordeal but Spencer has been through enough. Trying to force him to be with you after you broke his heart is selfish. You've made this whole tragic event about you and look at the man you claim to be protecting. Does any of what you've been working for seem like it's been what's best for Spencer?"

"Dylan, I appreciate how much you care for my husband but any decision I make regarding our relationship is between me and Spencer."

"Oh, really? So you're going to involve him this time?"

"I don't want to argue with you. I agree with you that he's been through enough but I also know that I'm going to work really hard to make it up to him. How I do that is none of your business?"

Spencer looks up at his wife and girlfriend arguing. Wow, he never thought that he would ever be able to say that. He could remember how great it felt when he and Serena started dating and he could say he had a girlfriend. He stares at the two women for a moment knowing that he should break up their disagreement but he is too drained to do so. The day has been long and he hopes he can recharge before he has to go home with Serena. Although they rarely argued when they were married, they were two different people now. He could only imagine what the night will hold for him.

Spencer allows himself to zone out staring at a random space in the office in an attempt to shut off his brain. After a few moments, he sees something start to move towards him. A mess of brown curls pulled into two pigtails less than three feet high approaches Reid slowly. Once in front of him, the little girl lifts her arms up to be held. Reid looks around to see if anyone is looking for the little girl. He takes her in with brown eyes, caramel skin and pink jumpsuit. He decides to pick her up and figure out who she belongs to. "Hi," he says friendly and trying to see if the toddler will talk.

"Hi, Daddy"

Reid looks around to find no one else there and realizes the child is talking to him. He frowns. Why would she think that he was her father?

At that moment, he hears his estranged wife cry out. "Schuyler, NO!"

And then it clicks for Reid, "Oh. My. God."

.

.

.

Thanks for reading! Please review with constructive criticism. I want to know how you think the story is going


	5. Chapter 5: Love Anew

As Serena makes her way towards newly united father and daughter, Spencer has gone into shock.

"I should have known. There were so many signs. You kept saying you were fat and ugly all of sudden but you didn't look any different. You actually seemed more beautiful. Oh God, you were glowing. I saw all of the signs. You couldn't eat your favorite foods. Morning sickness. You were so emotional…hormonal. And when you asked for the divorce, you kept reaching for your stomach whenever I said something to try to make you stay." Spencer remembers.

 _Spencer, I'm no good for you. You deserve someone so much better, someone who won't hurt you, who can't hurt you. Maeve was so perfect for you. I'm nothing like her. I can't be her._

 _Serena, I've never asked you to be Maeve. Yes, I loved her but I love you more. You are my everything, my life. I don't know why you're doing this._

 _They say if you love someone, you let them go. Right?_

 _Only when that love is one-sided. Ours is not. I love you. I have and will always love you._

 _Stop! I've made up my mind. We're done._ Spencer can remember it like it was yesterday. Only now he realized the significance of his wife sitting in their kitchen chair holding her stomach, their unborn child, protectively cradling trying to prepare to shield her from the dangers of the world that lay ahead.

"Daddy?" Schuyler now stands on Spencer's lap holding his face in her tiny hands trying to get him to refocus.

Serena kneels by Spencer and Schuyler. "Mommy, Daddy," Schuyler looks at her mother to help her get her father's attention.

"Daddy needs a minute, honey. But you are in trouble, young lady. You are supposed to be with Jenn. What happened?"

"J sick."

"She didn't leave you alone. Did she?"

"No, Bob."

Serena nodded. Of course, Jenn would leave her with a fellow CIA agent. "Did Bob stay with you?"

"Yes."

"Did you leave Bob?"

Schuyler put on a shy smile.

"Sky, come on, you need to tell mommy."

"Yes, mommy."

 _Great,_ Serena thought, _she's not even two and she's already a professional at giving CIA agents the slip._

"Where's Jenn now?"

"Baf-room."

"Okay, let's go find her," she reaches out to take her daughter.

Schuyler frowns and doesn't move toward her mother. She scoots back on her father's lap and puts her arms around his neck. Spencer looks down and rubs his daughter's back.

"I can watch her," Spencer says.

"You don't have to"

"I've already missed enough time with her. Don't you think?"

Serena sighed with a heavy heart. "Alright, I'll be right back." She looks at her daughter. "Be a good girl for Daddy, Sky."

"'Kay, Mommy."

As Serena walks towards the women's bathroom, Jenn is coming out.

"Is everything okay?" Serena asks.

"Yea. Wait, how did you know?"

"Sky must have slipped out of the room while Bob wasn't looking. I swear that little girl is not a normal baby."

"She's just super smart. Both of her parents are certified geniuses. What did you expect?"

"I don't know. She just finds the craziest ways to surprise me with her intelligence and it's starting to be an everyday thing."

"Perfect time for her to have two parents, huh?"

"Ugh, Spencer went into shock when he saw Sky. I think we're far away from the big happy family life. So what happened here?"

"I think we're fine for now but it looks like the food must have upset his tummy." Jenn handed over the now sleeping toddler to his mother. "Wait, did you tell Spencer about him too?"

"Nope, I'm going to go for shock value, two for two. It's better when they're right in front of his face because he can't yell."

Jenn shook her head at her boss, "You're using your children like human shields."

"Yeah, so. Parents have been doing this for years. I'm obviously just trying to be a traditional mother."

"Interesting definition of traditional."

"My life is in shambles so I plead insanity." Serena sighs. "Jenn, I have to go face the music but you can go home. I think I should be good for the rest of the day. I'll let you know if I need anything."

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying."

"Yea, we're going to need to spend quality time together as a family. You don't need to witness the fallout if there is one."

"Haha, okay. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll let you know. You still have your security detail because my parents are paying for them. Be careful just the same, though."

"Of course, good luck!"

"Thanks."

Serena makes her way over to Spencer with their son. By now, Garcia and JJ have made their way over to ogle and play with Sky. She is delighting in the attention but she refuses to leave her Daddy's lap. She naturally doesn't want to be separated from him. When she sees Serena approaching, Sky yells "J!"

The boy in Serena's arms stirs at the sound of his sister's voice. He wipes his eyes and looks at her. "J, Daddy!" Sky shows her brother their father like a prize she found in a cereal box.

Spencer looks up confused. Serena pauses slightly bracing herself. The father's eyes look at the mass of brown curls attached to a boy in a blue jumper in his wife's arms. "No."

"J!" Schuyler yells.

"Shhh," Serena says to her daughter as she sits her son in his father's lap beside his sister. Serena pulls up a chair so that the twins could have their first moment together as a family. Spencer stares at Serena speechless. In one day, she had changed his entire world. He hoped there was nothing else dramatic that he'd have to process today. The boy looks up at Spencer shyly and looks to his mother for approval. Serena nods at her son as Sky pulls on her brother's arm to try to get him to hug their father.

"Is this normal? Is she usually this much more outgoing than he is?"

"Yep, this has been them since the day they were born."

Spencer frowns, "J? Before I thought she was talking about Jenn, but what does it stand for?"

Serena smirks and chuckles, "It's SJ. She can't pronounce the S." Serena hunches.

"Oh, cute," Spencer smirks, "So SJ?" He inquires with apparent vested interest.

Serena nods and smiles, "Yes, Daddy. It's what you think. You are holding your son, Spencer Jr."

A/N: Sorry this one took so long. This couple is dealing with a lot in one day. Trust me they are going to go through a lot of ups and downs as the story progresses. Can't wait to see what really happens when Season 11 starts on Wednesday! Don't forget to review. I need some constructive criticism.


	6. Chapter 6: Anew Upon the Horizon

On the ride to his former home, Spencer's thoughts drift to Dylan. He realized that she left as soon as she had seen Schuyler. He tries to fathom explaining all of this, but he really can't understand his situation himself. Beside him, soft snores are coming from his son who finally sleeps soundly in his car seat. Spencer delightfully recalls Sky waking her brother up to get his attention. Sky and her mother ride in another SUV due to the need for space for the extra security. He still can't believe that he is a father. He also can't believe his wife came back into his life this way.

When he woke up this morning, the mere idea of Serena made him cringe. She invoked emotions in him that he never knew he could feel but the one that still reigned supreme was immense pain. After weighing all of the information he'd received today, he knew although Serena had done what she had believed was best that he wasn't ready to easily forgive her for not trusting him. Her actions violated their marriage and Spencer couldn't imagine rebuilding.

But their relationship wasn't just about them anymore. The twins' existence creates a bond between them that no one can break. Or rather one that the CIA and BAU were now fighting to make sure no one can break. That's where his feelings for his wife got complicated. He felt sorry that she thought that she had to handle this all on her own. She was pregnant with twins no less during the most stressful time in her life. She delivered them successfully and has kept them alive for almost two years now.

Even though she has her flaws as a wife, she excels as a mother. Spencer looks at SJ and realizes that his primary role in this life is as a father now. Serena stopped being his wife first as soon as she found out she was pregnant. He wished she hadn't chosen between her husband and children but he knows he would have made the same choice if he had felt the need to make one. When she made her choice, Spencer moved on and he has to at least check on Dylan. He's not sure what to say but he doesn't want her to think he is a jerk. He wants his girlfriend to know that being a father doesn't change how he feels about her.

As soon as they arrive at the once aptly named Reid Manor, Spencer's heart sinks as he remembers all of the happiness that he used to have here and all of the pain that resulted in its culmination. He watches Serena descend from the vehicle and pick up their daughter. She catches his eye but looks away quickly because she knows he is obsessing over the bad memory he has here. As they enter the house, Serena lets security know that she and Spencer are going to put the twins down to finish their nap in the nursery. Spencer follows Serena and as he lays SJ down he is overcome with emotion.

"Spencer?" Serena says worried.

"I'm fine," Spencer replies quickly wiping a rogue tear off his face.

"I know it's a lot to process and I'm sorry you found out this way. I'm very, very sorry."

"Thank you, but it doesn't change anything. I missed the first two years of their lives. I missed their birth. I missed seeing you pregnant. I missed everything."

"Spencer, they're not even two yet. You haven't missed everything. Sure, you weren't there for some milestones but you'll be there for the rest. Their lives are just beginning and the moments they'll remember haven't even started yet."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long would you have let us be apart?"

Serena sighs, "When I realized they were approaching two, I decided that I would try to reach out to you. That includes the countless phone calls that you wouldn't take over the past two months. Honestly, I was about to send you their birth certificates in a CIA envelope because I knew you would actually have to open it."

Spencer nods but doesn't say anything. He knows he's been avoiding her. It just isn't fair that he didn't know what he was missing out on by doing so.

Serena kisses both of the twins on the head before leading Spencer out of the room to give him and the new security a tour of the house. Two of Serena's long standing security guards stay in the room with the twins.

As Serena leads everyone around the house, Spencer is surprised by the improvements his wife has made to the house. Moreover, he is surprised that the changes she has made have no impacted the overall look of the house. If she wasn't pointing out tiny details, Spencer could swear the house is exactly the same as when he lived here a couple of years ago. At the end of the tour, Serena asks the security guards about their dinner arrangements and politely gave them some menus to look over when they suggested that they'd figure it out.

Serena then turned her attention to her husband. "I usually cook for the twins. Will you be joining us?"

"Um, I guess I should."

"Well, let me know if you would prefer not to because my usual dish of macaroni and cheese is not generally all the rage in adult cuisine."

Spencer can't resist smiling, "I can eat whatever the twins eat."

"Good thing they're not eating baby food anymore," she says with a smile. "I need to show you to your room."

Spencer nods and follows Serena back up the stairs to a room near the twins' nursery. She walks into a room serenely decorated in blue with pale gold accents spread throughout. Spencer notices that his things have been placed in this room already.

"You can stay in this room if you want."

Spencer looks at her inquisitively.

"Your other option would be to sleep with me." Serena explains with her eyes fixed on her husband's eyes.

Spencer swallows hard and narrows his eyes. "I think I'll stick with option one."

Serena smirks and walks up closely to her husband. He tries to step back but he's standing in front of the foot of the bed so he ends up falling into a sitting position. Serena crawls into his lap with the skirt she wore to work riding up around her upper thighs. Spencer looks at his wife unsure of her next move until he sees the lascivious look come into her eyes. As he tries to scoot back, Serena grabs the back of his head and proceeds to kiss him. At first, it's just a sensuous peck but when she is able to pry his lips apart a sense of urgency and need takes over. Spencer is surprised to find himself responding to his wife's kiss. His head is spinning as their tongues compete for dominance, his hands resting on her bare thighs and his body stirs in response to her position on his lap. When she reaches to undo his tie, Spencer stops her hand and regains his senses. He looks her in the eyes and pushes her off of his lap. As she stands before him, he tells her, "We still have a lot we need to discuss."

Serena nods embarrassed. After another awkward moment, Serena exits the room.


	7. Chapter 7: Horizon Broadening

After Serena leaves his room, Spencer closes the door and decides he needs to call Dylan.

"Hello."

"Hey, you left without saying goodbye. I just wanted to know if you were okay."

"Aww, thanks baby. I'm fine. I just didn't want to impose. That was a very important moment for you."

"Yeah, I had no idea I was a father. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

"She's really cute. I hope I can meet her someday."

"Oh, thanks. That'd be great once all of this craziness is over. I have to tell you something though."

"What is it?"

"Sky, my daughter, umm she's a twin. After you left, Serena brought me my son, SJ."

Dylan gasps. "Wow, that's…oh my God. That's amazing, Spencer. You have a family. I'm so happy for you."

Reid could hear the hurt in Dylan's voice. He felt bad that she felt the need to mask her pain. "Dylan, this doesn't change anything between us. We can still continue our relationship once we find these guys."

"Spencer, I hope that we have a future. Everything has changed though. You have kids that you need to be there for and whether we like it or not, you are still married. You have a family…and I'm not a part of it."

"I know there's a lot of things we have to work out, but I know we can get through this."

"We can talk about this later, Spencer. Right now, I really feel like you need to focus on your family."

"I love you and I respect your stance. I'm not happy about it though. Please just keep in touch with me. Don't distance yourself please."

"Yeah, of course. Same for you, okay?"

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye, Spencer."

"Bye."

Spencer puts his head in his hands. He couldn't believe his day or his life as it now was. He picks up his bag and chooses to distract himself. At first he picks up his files for the case that had destroyed his life, but then he sees his favorite book, _A Narrative of John Smith_. He decides that maybe Maeve can provide him some guidance right now and rereads the novel for what could be the thousandth time. The book gives him the comfort he needs but unfortunately he gets no answers from reading it at least not for now. Spencer switches his attention to the case. The information he reads about the criminal organizations made him wonder how his wife ever brought any of its members down. They were highly structured, unlikely to make mistakes. Now, the followers had had over two years to prepare an attack that would destroy his family and it was Spencer's job to keep them safe.

In the middle of his review, he hears he hears the twins start to stir. He looks toward the nightstand and notices the baby monitor. Serena had left it there so that he could keep tabs on the twins too. For this, Spencer is grateful. He wants to be treated as an equal parental figure in the twins' life and this shows that his wife supports that. Spencer walks across the hall to check on his children. As soon as he walks in, Schuyler is all smiles as she stands in her crib.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Hi, Sky," he says as he smooths her hair. Her unruly curls are no longer in pigtails and sit wildly across her head. Spencer realizes he is going to have to learn how to do her hair. He laughs at the mere thought. If he's stumped by curls, he could only imagine the real challenges he would face as a father. "Hi, SJ," he looks at SJ who lays wide-eyed and hugging his teddy bear in his own crib only a foot away from his sister's. Spencer figures the limited space allows Serena better to access to both twins when she is handling them alone. He only focuses on this thought for a moment because despite the circumstances the thought of Serena raising the twins alone makes him sad for many reasons.

Spencer takes the twins out of their cribs and decides to play with them until dinner. SJ has started to warm up to his father and giggles wildly as Spencer makes his stuffed animal dance around him. Spencer loses track of time while entertaining his children but he eventually hears Serena start to move around. He looks at the clock and sees that it's 5:30pm. Serena must have just woken up from a nap of her own and is now getting ready to prepare dinner.

Once in the kitchen, Serena starts working on a good meal to have for their first family dinner. She's listening to Spencer interact with the twins on her baby monitor and smiling to herself as she hears funny noises and giggles. Usually, she would have to bring the twins into the kitchen with her while she prepared a quick meal. She is happy that Spencer can be here at this time not only so she can make a nice dinner but also because the twins get to see their daddy's face when they wake up. As she's finishing plating their food, Spencer comes down the stairs with a baby in each arm. Serena watches him come down the stairs mesmerized. It's everything she always wanted.

As he walks down, he notices Serena has changed into a tight fitting tank and shorts. He can tell his wife has been working out more regularly than when they were together. He liked her new figure and he fought his body showing how he felt. Spencer catches her eye and Serena smiles humbly in return. She's no longer phased by his earlier rejection and she's just happy he's here. She points to the kitchen table that she has set. Spencer puts the twins in their high chairs which are placed on either side of the table so that Serena and Spencer's chairs face each other and also each parent is easily able to help feed a child. Serena sets the plates on the table. She's prepared steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus, a hearty and family friendly meal. She has, of course, cut the twins' asparagus and steak into bite sized pieces so they should be able to feed themselves.

"So, is there anything else that I've missed in the past couple of years?" Spencer asks after making the observation about her physical shape.

Serena laughs, "Honestly, I can't think of anything but I'm sure nothing could compare to learning about these two."

Spencer nods and smiles at his children. "I love them so much already. I'm happy they exist just so you know."

"Me too. I'm happy you're happy."

"Good because what would really make me happy is you being honest with me."

"You're right. I'll be completely honest going forward. I promise."

"I don't know if I can trust that."

"Mommy!"

"Sky?"

"Daddy!"

"Yes, Sky."

Sky giggles in response and continues eating. Spencer pinches her cheek and she smiles brightly. Serena looks at SJ. He's so quiet sometimes it makes her worried but right now he's eating contently. Serena smooths back his curls and kisses his cheek. He doesn't ask for attention but she knows he needs it all the same. He smiles slightly at his mother and continues to eat.

"He's so quiet." Spencer states watching Serena interact with their son.

"Yeah, I know. I don't know if it's just in comparison to Sky or in general. They have a checkup after their second birthday. I'll ask their pediatrician then." She frowns a little then smiles when she hears Sky coo.

"Can you give me the day? I'd love to be there."

"Oh, yeah, of course. I have a calendar for them. I'll share it with you later."

"Great, thanks. This is really good by the way."

Serena smiles brightly. "Really? I'm glad you like it."

"I love your cooking. I forgot how good it was."

"Ha. Well, I'll try to make sure I keep it up."

Spencer nods.

The twins start to get antsy in their high chairs showing that they're done with their dinner. Spencer takes them back into the nursery while Serena clears the table. When she's done, she shows Spencer how to clean them up after they eat. Together they give them baths and change them into their pajamas. They bring them back into the nursery and Serena points to the rocking chair in the corner. With both kids in his lap, Spencer sits in the rocking chair and Serena brings over a book. The title of the book is _Spencer and the Doll Maker_. Spencer looks at the title of the book then looks to his wife shocked.

"I had them made so they would be able to recognize and trust you when they met you. I wanted them to think or know that you were off saving the world and that's why you couldn't be with them. My plan was always for you to be able to take them if I was ever killed. They needed to have at least one parent. If I was gone, I knew there would be no more danger." Serena sighs and a tear rolls down her face. "It sucks to bring children into this world and know that you're the biggest threat to their lives and their happiness."

"Serena, you've done an amazing job. Sky recognized me immediately. It worked. Thank you for giving me them."

Serena nods. "Okay, let's have story time then bed."

The twins are already falling asleep to the sound of their parents' voices but Spencer proceeds to read the story until they are sound asleep. He's amazed by the images in the book and how closely they resemble him and his team. He's also surprised that the story relates to a real case that his team has solved. On the back of the book, there is a photograph of him. His wife's thoroughness knows no bounds.

Serena puts Sky in her crib and Spencer puts SJ in his. They cut on the nightlight and cut off the lights. Together they exit the room and close the door.

"Well, goodnight." Serena says bittersweet.

"Goodnight, Serena," Spencer says. Serena starts to turn away but Spencer grabs her waist. She looks up at him confused. Spencer leans down hesitantly and kisses his wife sweetly on the lips. When he pulls away, he can tell Serena is unsure how to react. Spencer sighs, "Sleep well."

"Yeah, you too."

With that, Spencer walks into his room and closes the door. He knows he's going to have a restless night because he has so much to think about. He's not even sure what that kiss was just about.

Meanwhile, Serena goes into her room and allows a little hope to swell in her chest. Although she's not happy about why they are here, she's going to make the best of it. She thinks maybe this can bring her family together and with the help of the CIA and BAU they can safely stay together.

*A/N: I hope you're enjoying the story. Review with constructive criticism to let me know how it's going. I'm hoping to see much more of Reid in this season of Criminal Minds!


	8. Chapter 8: Broadening the Spectrum

"Is that dress work appropriate?" Spencer says as he comes into the kitchen in the morning. Serena is wearing a tight white peplum dress with a V-neck that shows the top of her cleavage.

"Good morning to you, too. I don't know and I don't care. I'm going to put a blazer over it anyway." Serena looks up from the breakfast she is preparing and gives her husband a pointed look before further explaining, "Jenn just bought it along with some other pieces because I recently lost 20lbs. I need to update my wardrobe so not all of my clothes look baggy and sloppy."

"Oh." Spencer looks at the dress again and frowns then walks over to Serena, puts a hand on her waist and uses the other to tilt her head up for a quick kiss. "Good morning."

Serena rolls her eyes.

"Where are the kids?"

"My mom has them in the living room."

"Really? Does she normally come to visit this early?"

"Visit? No. She watches them during the day. I swear they are her best friends. Or maybe, her best accessories. Anyway, she loves them."

"I thought Jenn watched them."

"No," Serena laughs, "Jenn is my personal assistant not my babysitter. I mean sometimes she watches them when I need someone in a hurry but it's infrequent."

"Hmm, okay. I'm going to say good morning to the twins."

"Okay. I'll let you know when breakfast is ready."

"Okay." Spencer stands there awkwardly for a minute looking his wife over then leaves to see the twins.

Serena shakes her head. She has no idea where his head is at but she knows she has to let him take the lead.

"Hi, Celine."

"Oh my goodness! Spencer, dear, it has been too long." Celine says as she walks over to Spencer to give him a big hug. Spencer smiles fondly in return. Celine holds Spencer out at arm's length. "I've missed you. You're still so skinny though. Serena's back in your life now so maybe her cooking can put some meat on those bones. And hopefully you can make her happy again because Lord knows that child has been all sorts of irritable and difficult these past couple of years without you."

Spencer laughs, "It's good to see you too. I'm glad to have these two little ones in my life now. I can't gain too much weight because I have to chase after them." Spencer moves to sit on the floor with the twins.

"Daddy." Sky says with a big smile. Spencer kisses his baby girl on the cheek.

He looks at his quiet son and asks, "Can you say Daddy, SJ?"

SJ looks at Spencer for a moment then looks at his sister. He frowns then looks back at his dad.

"It's okay if you can't, Buddy. We'll work on it."

SJ nods and says softly, "Daddy."

Celine gasps. Spencer smiles brightly. "Good job, SJ."

SJ smiles then turns his attention back to his toys.

"He rarely talks sometimes I forget that he can."

"Really?"

"Yes. I got him to say Grand once a couple of months ago but I haven't heard it since."

"You know it would probably be easier if they called you 'Nana'. It's more similar to Dada and Mama so it should be easier to pronounce."

"Yeah, well, your mom took Nana so I needed to think of my own unique name to be called."

"My mom?"

"Yeah, the kids love Diana and she loves them when she can remember them of course."

"They've met my mom?"

"Yeah, Serena takes them to see her at least once a month. She tries for more but sometimes it just doesn't work. Did she not tell you?"

"Neither of them did."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. My mom usually tells me everything."

"Wow, she loves them. I can't believe she wouldn't tell you she's met them."

"Breakfast is ready." Serena says as she walks in the room. She picks up SJ and pauses when she sees the look of shock on Spencer's face. "What'd I miss?"

"The twins have met my mom?"

"Yes. I didn't want to have any regrets in case anything happened to her, schizophrenia-related or otherwise."

"Did you tell her not to tell me about the twins?"

Serena frowns, "Spencer, I admit I've done a lot that has hurt you but I would never tell your mom to keep anything from you. I know she's been your everything for a long time. That, I would never do that to you on top of keeping everything else from you. I couldn't live hating myself any more than I already do." SJ wraps his arms around Serena's neck and hugs his mother tightly as he sees her getting emotional.

"I should probably take them into the kitchen and give you two a moment." Celine says as she picks Sky up. Serena kisses SJ on the head before releasing him to her mother.

As Celine leaves the room, Serena moves closer to Spencer. She puts her arms around him as she coaxes, "Baby, talk to me."

"Why wouldn't my own mother talk to me about my children?"

"Your mom has been doing better but she's still a schizophrenic. She forgets everyone and everything from time to time." Serena looks down as she says the next part. "She's also never seen you with them so she may not associate them with you even though she knows they're your children. I mean physically seeing you probably doesn't trigger her to think to talk about them."

Spencer thinks for a little while then says, "You're right. I can't really blame her for not telling me. She probably didn't know why I'd never said anything. Did she ever ask why I didn't come with you?"

"Yes. I just told her that you and I were no longer together and that your job wouldn't let you get away. She always understood. I think she was always just glad to be a part of their lives."

Spencer nods, "Thank you for thinking of her."

Serena shakes her head, "Don't thank me. I fucked up. I'm sorry, Spencer."

"It's okay." Spencer says as he lowers his head. Serena rises up to meet Spencer for what starts off as a sweet kiss but deepens as they each try to console the other. Serena's hands knot in her husband's hair as his travel down from her neck to her shoulders then further spreading out as they reach the middle of her back outlining the band of her bra which he's happy she's actually wearing considering her dress. He allows one of his hands to keep traveling down until it reaches her lower back where he keeps it in place holding her to him while his other hand moves back up along her side until his thumb runs into the bottom of her breast. As Spencer's hands start to wander further in the direction of their goals, Serena breaks the kiss giving Spencer several pecks on lips thereafter to smooth over her decision. Spencer sulks but doesn't say anything.

"My mom is in the kitchen and our children are probably wondering where we are."

"Oh, yeah." Spencer nods but doesn't look convinced.

Serena laughs, "We need to make it to work so we can get updated on the case. We have to catch these guys so our future isn't in jeopardy." Serena sighs as Spencer starts to grimace. "If there isn't a break in the case, we can continue this tonight."

Spencer sighs and shakes his head, "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing. This shouldn't even be happening."

Serena closes her eyes and clutches her chest. When she opens her eyes, it's evident she's fighting tears. "Yeah, we've got a lot we need to work through. We can worry about sex later."

"Serena, I'm not worried about the sex. I'm just not ready for the emotions. I don't want to make love to you when I still have feelings for someone else. I'm also still working through your betrayal. If we make love, I know some of those feelings are going to be pushed into the background. I don't want resentment to build because we never discussed certain things. I just think we need to be in a better place."

"What if I hadn't stopped you? I want you to make love to me. I've missed that. Are you telling me that I need to watch out for your moment of weakness? That I have to be the stronger person? I can't make that promise but I don't want you to hate me."

"I'll just try to do better."

"What does that mean?" Serena's eyes get big with fear and tears still threatening to fall.

Spencer hugs her. "Let's just play it by ear, okay?"

Serena nods and the two go eat breakfast before work.

Sky's reluctant to let her daddy go when they tell her they're leaving for work. Spencer is heartbroken when he has to leave his daughter screaming and crying at home. Serena assures Spencer that Schuyler will be fine but it's all still too new for Spencer.

Morgan catches Spencer as he's just sitting down at his desk with a fresh cup of coffee. "Hey, Pretty Boy. You're looking extra pretty today. You wanna tell me about it?"

Spencer frowns, "What are you talking about?"

"Reid, you have makeup all over your face."

"What?" Reid gasps horrified.

"It's not that bad. It's mostly around your lips. You must've had a good night. You and Serena make up?"

"Not exactly." Spencer says while wiping his face. "Being with her and my kids, I can't hate her. I still love her for some new reasons now too. My emotions are all mixed up right now. Some moments I want to fight her and in other moments I want to make love to her."

"That sounds like a normal response to everything you found out yesterday, Kid. Don't overthink it too much. Of course, you're still going to have certain feelings because you guys never had any closure."

"Actually, this morning, I think it was her dress that got to me." Spencer says smiling and slightly blushing.

"Really? I have to see this dress that's got you all flustered. It must be something."

"It is. Honestly, I didn't want her to wear it out of the house but I didn't want to start a fight."

Morgan furrows his brows, "You mean she wore it to work? Oh my God. You can tell her if it bothers you but definitely don't try to tell her what to wear."

"She said she would put a blazer over it so I decided this wasn't a battle I needed to fight."

"Smart man."

Serena comes over wearing the blazer over her dress. The blazer is form fitting as well. In Spencer's eyes, it barely helps her look pass for work appropriate.

"I see what you mean." Morgan says quietly. "Nice." He says with a big smile.

Spencer narrows his eyes smirking, "Stop looking at my wife."

They laugh while Serena pulls up a chair.

"What's up?" Spencer asks.

"I forgot you had makeup on your face," Serena says as she picks up a tissue, "You got most of it yourself. Good job."

"Thanks. What's wrong?" Spencer asks as she vigorously cleans his face.

"My boss warned me about my wardrobe. He said I must not be thinking clearly because of the situation and suggested that I go home to spend time with my family."

"Do you think you need a day off?"

"No. I told him if you're here then I have no excuse not to be. You've been my main concern this whole time. Now that you're in the loop, why would that change?"

"True. We did have a long day yesterday though."

"Yeah, but to look at my clothes and try to say I need a break because I wore something form fitting for a change. There are plenty of female CIA agents that dress more inappropriately frequently. I wear one dress that's a little showy and my life must be in shambles."

"He shouldn't have put it that way but maybe he thought with the extra help you may want to take some time."

"Sure."

"Okay, I asked you about the dress this morning."

"I really think it's not that bad especially with the blazer."

Reid looks at Morgan. "It attracts attention," Morgan comments.

Serena's eyes widen.

"You look sexy which is awesome. I just don't want my coworkers to know what I come home to if you catch my drift."

"Fine, I'll ask Jenn to bring me another outfit but I'm not going home."

"Reid, you can take off the day with her. Hang out with your family."

"We already missed time yesterday. We need to stay in the loop. This is our lives."

Garcia comes rushing over, "Guys," she sighs, "Another body has been found."


	9. Chapter 9: Spectrum of Possibilities

"You're not going anywhere!" Serena screams at Spencer.

"Lower your voice," Spencer urges and continues, "I have to go with my team."

"No, you don't. You shouldn't be out in the field. They will come after you."

"My team needs me and I'm trying to do everything I can to help make sure our family is safe."

"That's great and all, but you can work with your team from here. If you go out there, you could possibly destroy everything I've worked so hard for. You don't need to sacrifice yourself to help save our family."

"This is my choice. You made your decision alone so I'm making this one."

"No," Serena cries, "I wanted the twins to at least have one parent alive. If I die, these psychos will have accomplished their mission and leave you and the twins alone, healthy and happy. If you die, they will still come after me and everything I love. I'm the target here. If you go out there and something goes wrong…" Serena trails off as her sobs overtake her.

Spencer walks towards her. His anger has dissipated and concern etches his face. "Serena," he says as he touches her face softly.

Serena shakes her head as she tries to control her tears. "If something happens to you, the twins could be left parentless. I don't want that to happen. That is exactly what I've fought so hard to avoid happening. My babies don't deserve that."

Spencer wraps his arms around Serena and holds her tightly.

Hotch moves towards the couple. "Reid, you are staying here. Your presence in the field would endanger the whole team. It would serve everyone best if you work here and continue to build a profile."

Reid nods, visibly upset by his supervisor's decision but too sobered by his spouse's tears to fight against it. He knows there is truth in their words; however, it didn't stop the fact that he wants to do everything he can to protect the ones he loves.

Serena looks up into Spencer's face. "I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you. Of course, I'm happy Hotch made the decision but I love you and I hate when something hurts you."

Spencer rolls his eyes. "I want to protect you. That's all."

"I love that and I know you will excel at that no matter where you are." Serena stands on her toes for a kiss but Spencer pulls away and frowns.

"I'm going to go see if I can find a pattern in the geography of the murders. I'll see you later."

A tear rolls down Serena's face as she nods and Spencer walks away.

"I think I've got something." Reid says as he enters Garcia's office. Serena is sitting beside Garcia helping her sift through old information about the criminal organizations to see if there is anything that wasn't relevant when Serena was tracking them but is relevant now. The Reids look at each other awkwardly for a moment before Spencer continues.

"So it appears that the groups are operating in rotation. But the main twist is that the time of their attacks correspond with the date each official became involved with the take down operation."

"Which tells us they've collected information from government databases," Garcia suggests.

"Or officials." Serena grimaces, "Great, now I can't even trust the people around me."

"There was always that possibility." Reid states simply.

"How do we even begin to approach this? There are several officials working on this case." Garcia worries.

"As of yesterday, the case has been split up amongst different departments depending upon the occupation of the targeted personnel. The only government agency that has almost all of the information about this case is the CIA." Reid offers.

Serena shakes her head. "There are only a few CIA agents with access to these files. It's the State department that has all access."

Spencer looks at his wife, "Do you have any ideas who could be a mole?"

"No. I can think of several hackers but I can't think of anyone who would intentionally leak information. I don't even think many people were working actively on this case. It was two small groups between the CIA and the State that were investigating as the killings increased." Serena sighs.

"Garcia, we need to run checks on all of these officials. Check for anyone that has a unique connection with the operation. I'm going to tell Hotch that these guys are taunting us." Reid begins to walk out of the room but Serena stops him. "What's wrong?" he asks. Serena doesn't respond and steps closer pulling him close. Spencer rubs her back slightly for a second and then releases her to go call Hotch. Serena walks back over to help Garcia sort through the list of names.

"Who are they taunting?" Hotch asks as the team reassembles at the BAU office.

"Right now, it could be a warning to the entire government. They want us to know the intelligence they've collected and realize just how big of a threat they are." Reid responds.

"It appears that the organizations are still working independently though so they can't be that big of a threat." Morgan deduces.

"We have to figure out how they're working both together and separately. Thus far, none of the groups have killed a target together and there might be a key in the reason." JJ states.

"What about a pattern in the killings?" Garcia asks.

"Like who's killing who," the Reids say together. They look at each other, then Serena continues, "There has to be a link between the group that attacks and the time at which they decide to attack. They have a system."

"That means we have to know the date you began the operation, Serena." Hotch says.

"May 28th."

"Are they more likely to strike in the morning or afternoon?" Morgan asks.

"Whichever is convenient," Reid answers, "If they wanted to attack us in the morning, they would have to attack at home and make it past our security which is really tight at the moment. When they come for us, it'll probably be in the evening because we would be traveling home from work. The transition phase would make us vulnerable."

"So, we'll have to make sure to stay here until after that time has passed."

"I honestly think Serena is their end game, which means we probably have some time before they pursue you vehemently." Hotch says.

"But if they can get to me, it'll be their biggest triumph and spike their confidence which could leave them more dangerous."

"I'm starting to wonder if you two should even risk coming in to work."

"We have to keep with our regular schedules in order to look like we don't have any leads." Reid argues.

Serena nods, "They haven't attempted anything on my commutes thus far so I think we should be safe leaving after 5:28pm each evening. I just like to make sure to be home before 7pm so I can spend as much time as possible with the twins before they go to bed."

Reid frowns in response to what his wife has said. He's upset he didn't consider his children. They are after all the reason that he is fighting so hard.

Morgan sees Reid's internal struggle and makes his way over to him to whisper in his ear, "You've only been at the dad thing for a day. Don't beat yourself up because you're not perfect. It's going to take time."

Reid nods and smiles.

Hotch decides that the couple will depart around 6pm every evening. Serena looks slightly defeated and simply stares at her hands. Hotch sends the Reids home as it is currently around that time. However, most of the staff remains to investigate the new patterns they have found.


	10. Chapter 10: Possibilities

Serena is quiet the whole way home. When they get inside, she goes to her room for thirty minutes before she comes into the nursery to say hello to the twins. She kisses them both on their foreheads and picks up SJ as he reaches up for her. Spencer has been playing with them on the floor of the nursery.

"Have they eaten dinner?"

"No. You're mom said that she was about to fix something when we walked through the door."

"Okay. They're probably really hungry so I'm going to make something quick." Serena says as she walks out of the room toward the kitchen. She sets SJ in his high chair when she gets to her destination and automatically starts to cook.

When she hears Spencer's footsteps in the room, she tells him without turning around, "I'm going to make mac n cheese and chicken nuggets for the kids. We can order take out or I can cook you something if you really want it."

"We can order something."

"Okay. You can pick. I'll eat whatever you order."

As she begins to make the meal, she sees her mother has already made the macaroni and stuck in a bowl in the refrigerator. Her mother has even put some broccoli in the mix so the twins are eating a vegetable with their meal. How did she just know?

Serena sets about putting the chicken nuggets in the oven as she heats up the macaroni. Once everything is heating up, she finally looks at her family. She looks at them with a bittersweet smile and approaches the table to see what Spencer is ordering. He glances up at her with a worried look on his face.

"I ordered Chinese food, hunan chicken and beef and broccoli."

"That works for me."

"Are you okay?"

"It's just a bad day."

"I think we made a good break in the case. How's that bad?"

"That's not. I'm just having a bad day. Sometimes that happens."

Spencer nods then turns his attention to the twins. They play with the kids until the food is ready. As Serena is sets the plates in front of her children, the take out is delivered. Spencer answers the door and makes plates for him and his wife. They sit and eat in silence for a while. Serena is helping SJ eat his mac n cheese when Spencer notices she has barely touched her plate.

"Baby, you have to eat."

Serena looks at Sky at first but as her baby girl is eating avidly she realizes Spencer is talking to her. She frowns at the affectionate term as she doesn't believe he truly feels any significant affection towards her. When she finally looks up, he's studying her face. She shakes her head. "I'm honestly not very hungry, but I plan to eat what's on my plate. You don't have to worry."

"Serena, we've been through a lot but I do still care about you. Please don't question that."

Serena nods as Sky throws her cup on the floor. "Guess I'll have to eat this later."

"No, I'll get the kids. You should eat."

Serena hunches her shoulders, "Okay."

Spencer has cleaned up the kids and is reading them a story when Serena comes up to check on them a mere twenty minutes later. Both kids' droopy eyes light up when they see their mother but they're way too sleepy to move. Serena kisses them on their heads before she sits on the ground in front of the rocking chair. She smiles at her children as they drift to sleep listening to their father's voice.

When the two parents exit the nursery, Spencer notes, "You came up pretty quickly. Did you finish your food?"

Serena rolls her eyes, "I ate the majority of it. I'm not starving myself, Spencer."

"I didn't say that."

Serena narrows her eyes. "Good night," she says as she turns on her heels and heads toward her bedroom.

Spencer heads to his room thinking about his wife's sudden change in attitude. He texts Dylan to check on her and picks up a book to distract himself. After thirty minutes with no response from Dylan, Spencer decides to go check on Serena. When he enters her room, he expects to see her in bed but to his surprise she's not there. He hears music in the bathroom and decides to peak in. Serena looks up in surprise when the door opens.

"Hey," Spencer says awkwardly as Serena sits in the bathtub surrounded by bubbles.

"Hey," she says expectantly.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, Spencer." Serena rolls her eyes.

"Come on, Serena. Confide in me." Spencer walks into the bathroom and sits in front of the tub.

"I'm just stressed. It happens when you're always trying to save two little human beings who are innocent and you selfishly brought into the world."

"How was it selfish?"

"They're marked. They're targets of international criminals because I am their mother." Serena shakes her head as tears come unbidden into her eyes. "I don't know if they'll ever lead normal lives."

"Serena, we all have to worry about things like that. Hotch has a kid that is healthy and happy. Foyet never stood a chance. JJ has two beautiful children and no one has come near them even though she was kidnapped for a mission she was associated with. Gideon had children and we all know how many serial killers he put away. It's the risk you have to take with these sorts of jobs. We both know you always wanted children. Even if you'd waited until later in your career, this would always be a risk. But I'm sure that our children will grow up and change the world just the way you do or maybe even better. We need to appreciate that right now we're looking forward to their second birthday and they are here and no one has come close to touching them."

Serena nods in response.

"I think they are the best decision you ever made."

She smiles, "You're the best decision I ever made."

Spencer swallows hard and frowns a little. "I don't know about that."

"I do. You are the reason I have my children after all. I still love you with my whole heart. The day I walked away from you was the hardest day of my life. I've never felt a stronger connection. Even now, I feel so much better because you're here even though we aren't on the best terms. It's unnatural."

"I know what you mean," Spencer says, "Do you want me to get your back?" He asks to change the subject.

Serena shakes her head. "No, I've got it. I'm going to get out soon anyway."

Spencer nods and takes that as his cue to leave.


	11. Chapter 11: Possibilities for Romance

When Serena wakes up, she feels extremely warm. Without opening her eyes, she moves her legs but ends up kicking something. Confused, she opens her eyes just in time to see a hand grab hers. As the body underneath her moves, she suddenly comes face to face with Spencer.

"Good morning," he says kissing her forehead.

"Morning. What are you doing in my bed?"

"I felt like you needed me."

Serena frowns a little and looks at the clock. It's 6am. "This is the latest I've slept in years so maybe you're right." Her head is resting on Spencer's shoulder with his arm wrapped around her.

Spencer squeezes her side. "Maybe we should take the day off to rest."

"Really? Yesterday, you seemed like you needed to be at work."

"I know, but I remembered what you said before about my team being more important to me than you. In this moment, I'm putting you first. Right now, I know I need to be here for you and you obviously need a break. So, I think we need to take the day off of work."

Serena sighs, "I could deal with some extra rest. I just don't know if it's the best decision to make regarding the case."

"Don't worry about the case. Our teams will call us in if it's an urgent matter, but what good will you be to anyone if you're this tired and stressed?"

Serena sighs again. She nuzzles her nose in Spencer's neck and proceeds to wrap herself around him. He holds her tighter in response and proceeds to rub her back. She dozes off for a while longer. When she wakes up, it's now 7:30am and Spencer hasn't moved. She looks up at him for guidance.

He smiles at his tired spouse. "I called the office thirty minutes ago. Hotch said to tell you that they understand and will keep in touch."

"What? Did you tell them I was tired?" Serena's face is quickly turning to anger.

"No. I told them that we needed the day to recharge."

"Oh," Serena manages through her embarrassment at her overreaction.

"It's okay," Spencer says. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Hmm," she manages as she proceeds to kiss his neck. Spencer stiffens in response. He still isn't ready. Serena sighs, "The twins need breakfast."

"Your mom is here taking care of the twins."

"Oh," Serena doesn't know how to respond.

Spencer gives his wife a shy smile and kisses her sweetly. She kisses him back but doesn't push for things to deepen. He pauses and looks at her. After a moment, he pulls the covers back and repositions himself so that he is between Serena's legs. She's watching him intently. She's surprised he's taking charge in an intimate moment. Spencer grabs the hem of her nightgown and clumsily pulls it over her head with her help. Kneeling in front of her, he gazes down at her appreciatively. She lays before him in only her panties. He realizes that he forgot how beautiful she is. Her bust is fuller than he remembers. Her waist is as tiny as ever and her broad hips complete her hourglass shape. She is incredibly curvaceous and she is all his.

A shy smile graces his face again. He kisses her mouth passionately before he begins to reacquaint himself with the temple that is his wife. Spencer begins to caress her all over. Serena moans as her husband starts his assault with enthusiastic kisses on her neck while kneading her breasts in his hands. He makes his way down her body with soft pecks before stopping to lavish her breasts with attention. As his tongue grazes her nipple, his phone begins to ring. The couple groans in unison.

Spencer reaches for his phone expecting it to be a work-related call but is surprised to see that it's Dylan calling. She never answered his text from last night and it had worried him. He answers the phone instinctively. "Dylan. Hey. How are you?" He says as he removes himself from atop of his wife.

Serena's eyes grow wide with shock then slowly switch to hurt. Spencer watches as she gets out of the bed and goes to her closet. He knows the closet has a door to the hallway inside of it so his wife will not be returning to her room. He settles himself back on the bed as he continues his conversation with Dylan.

"I'm fine. Sorry, I didn't respond. I went out with some friends last night and I wasn't really paying attention to my phone."

"That's okay. I'm just glad to hear from you."

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure you knew I wasn't ignoring you."

"Of course. I was more worried that something may have happened to you."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Considering all that's happening with you right now I don't want to cause any extra stress for you."

"No, it's fine. I think about you often anyway."

"That's sweet of you to say." Dylan's bittersweet smile is audible. "How is everything?"

"I think we're making pretty great progress in the case. It could be over sooner than we think."

"That's great, Spencer. What about your living situation?"

Spencer frowns and clears his throat. "It's great to be able to spend time with the kids. Sky is so bright and full of energy. My son is quieter but he's definitely warming up to me."

"I'm sure you're a great father."

"I don't know if I'm there yet but I'm working on it." Spencer laughs.

"So how's Serena?"

"She's fine. I think all of this is getting to her though. We took the day off so she could detox."

"You don't need to detox?"

"No, I just wanted to be here in case she needed to talk to someone."

"So you guys are good now?"

"We're working together for the twins and trying to work out our differences as we go."

"Well, I hope everything gets resolved between you two."

"Thanks. I wish I could come see you."

"You have bigger things to worry about than keeping up with me."

"You're important to me."

"Thanks. You're important to me too." Dylan pauses before she continues, "Look, I have to get in to work. Thanks for checking on me. I'll talk to you later."

"Love you. Bye."

"Bye, Spencer."

Spencer frowns. _She didn't say it back._ He ponders. _She always says it back. Maybe she doesn't believe that he still loves her. It's only been two days. What can she possibly think has happened in two days?_ Then Spencer remembers what was occurring in the moment before Dylan called. He shakes his head. He was about to make love to his wife which he shouldn't feel bad about because she is his wife. He should feel bad that he interrupted his love making to talk to another woman. Yet, in this moment, Spencer doesn't know how to feel. However, he knows he has to face Serena and his wife is going to be rightfully upset.

Spencer wanders down to the kitchen where his children, his wife and his mother in law are all gathered. Serena narrows her eyes and frowns when she sees Spencer. He walks right up to her as she fixes a plate at the counter and wraps his arms around her waist. She growls slightly not wanting to feel his touch. Spencer holds tight to his spouse and whispers in her ear. "I'm so sorry. I just needed to know that she was okay. I feel really bad that she called when I needed to spend time with you."

Serena turns around in his arms and looks up at him with disappoint etched on her face. "You were about to make love to me when you're not even sure that you love me. That's what you should be apologizing for. You can care about her all you want but don't put your hands on me if your heart belongs to someone else. It's cruel."

"I do love you."

"Not the way you used to. Not the way you did when we took our vows. This isn't us." Serena pauses thoughtfully then tells her husband, "You should go to work."

"I want to be here for you."

"You've done more harm than good. If you want me to get a day of rest, you need to go."

"Serena, I'm sorry."

She nods but doesn't speak. Spencer turns to the table and kisses his kids on their foreheads. Sky squeals in delight.

"Here. I made you breakfast. You should sit and eat with the kids. I'm going to go upstairs."

Spencer sits and eats with the kids before getting dressed to go to work. He checks in with Serena who has tucked herself into a bed in a guest room. She apparently didn't want to be found. Spencer feels awful that his wife's day off has begun this way and it's all his fault. He walks in the room and pecks her forehead. He stands over her for a couple of minutes but realizes there's nothing he can say or do to make it better right now. Feeling dejected, he walks out of the room and heads to work.


	12. Chapter 12: Romance?

"Spence, I could kill you myself. What were you thinking?" JJ says staring at her close friend in disbelief.

Spencer could see the disappointment in his coworkers' faces which only made him feel worse. "I wasn't thinking. I just knew that I hadn't heard from Dylan and I wanted to know that she was okay."

"So you chose to answer the phone with your naked wife underneath you?" Morgan asks incredulously. "Kid, I don't know how someone so smart can make such a dumb decision."

"Well, we all know relationships aren't my area of expertise."

"That's not an excuse, Reid." Garcia chastises.

"I know I was wrong but I'm still getting used to being someone's husband again! I'm sorry I'm confused. I apologized to her. Right now, I don't know what else to do."

"Make a decision, Spence. In order to get a positive result from your situation, you need to approach it in one of two ways. The first option is to use this opportunity to reunite with your wife and work towards being a family. The second option is to establish boundaries with Serena and stick to them." JJ lays down the law.

"When all of this first happened, I thought the second option was the only option. Serena's betrayal was…is hard to get over. She meant everything to me and she just left me alone without an explanation. I don't know if I can risk trusting her again. But, I'm still drawn to her. I tell myself to stay away from her and I need to be near her at the same time." Tears well up in Spencer's eyes. "I don't want to hurt her the way she hurt me. This…it's just really hard for me."

Garcia is hugging Spencer before he even stops speaking. "We know it's hard, Spencer. Maybe coming to work today will give you the time alone you need to figure some things out."

"That's a good idea, Baby Girl. Reid, just go sit in my office and think some things through. If we need you to help with anything, we'll pull you. You have to figure out what you're feeling. Don't think about the case or the kids. Don't focus on Serena's or Dylan's feelings."

"Listen to your heart, Spence."

"Thanks guys." Spencer states before solemnly walking towards Morgan's office.

"So what happened?" Celine is looking at her daughter with knowing eyes.

Serena sighs and shakes her head. She rises from her position on the floor where her children are playing to sit on the couch bracing herself to tell her story.

Celine waits patiently for Serena to open up. She watches the young woman shift nervously on the couch, opening and closing her mouth as she tries to find the words. Finally with one last sigh, she begins.

"We were in bed." Serena flushes. She finds this story is slightly awkward to tell her mother. "Um, we were…um"

"Making love?" Celine tries to help.

"Um, no…we were about to…"

"That should be a good thing," Celine frowns. "What stopped it?"

Serena rolls her eyes with tears forming in them, "His phone rang."

"And he answered it?" Celine asks shocked. No man she knew stopped having sex due to a phone call.

"Yes," Serena said wiping her eyes. She couldn't let the twins see her cry.

"Who was it?"

Serena shakes her head again, "His girlfriend." She says weakly.

Celine's face falls into one of sympathy for her daughter. She goes over to the couch and wraps her arms around Serena. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry." The two sit like that for a while before Celine speaks. "What did he say when he came into the kitchen?"

"He said he was sorry and that he loves me." Serena states solemnly.

"I don't think he was lying, Serena."

"Spencer doesn't know how he feels, Mom. He knows he used to love me. He knows he loves Sky and SJ. He wants nothing to do with me. I failed him and now my own husband hates me."

"Serena," Celine rolls her eyes, "He wouldn't say he loves you if he hates you. I think you're right that he's trying to figure out what he's feeling. However, I also believe that he knows that he loves you. I think his bigger issue is trust and I'm sorry dear but you're going to have to work a little bit to earn that back."

Serena nods knowing that her mother is right. "So what do I do now?"

"The only thing you can do is give him time. Let him figure it out and make sure you're there for him every step of the way. You've told him you are upset and I'm sure he feels remorseful. Now, you can work together for the best outcome."

"It's just so hard. He holds my entire future in his hands."

"As you once held his in yours."

When Spencer comes home, he immediately hears one of the twins crying. It is almost 9pm and he had expected the twins to be sound asleep. He walks towards the noise and finds himself in the living room watching his wife bouncing his baby boy up and down on her hip. She is rubbing his back and whispering softly in his ear, patiently trying to calm him down. Spencer nervously approaches his wife. She's facing away from the door so he risks wrapping his arms around her waist. She stiffens as she feels his chest against her back. He kisses the top of the baby's head and he instantly stops crying.

"See, baby boy. Daddy's home. He didn't forget about you. He's here." Serena coaxes as she turns around in Spencer's arms and hands him his son.

Spencer frowns trying to gauge several aspects of the situation. He addresses his son first. "Hi, baby. Hi, SJ. What's wrong, son?"

"He missed you." Serena reveals.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was reading them their story and he didn't fall asleep the way he normally does. He got fussy and when I closed the book he started crying and I couldn't get him to stop. I only realized what was wrong because he started saying Daddy." Serena says in dismay.

Spencer looks at his son ruefully "I'm here. Don't cry." SJ gazes up at his father contently, all prior woes completely forgotten. His eyes are heavy and Spencer knows he needs to be put to bed. "I'm going to put him down in the nursery but I want to talk to you."

Serena nods. "I'll come with you."

Once SJ is down, Spencer leads Serena into her room. Serena is confused at first but she decides to focus on bracing herself for what her husband has to say.

"I spent all day trying to decide the best way to deal with all of this." Serena nods at her husband's words still unsure where he's going. "None of it is fair to our family." Spencer sighs then a small smile appears on his face. "But we are a family. We still have our family. We're extremely fortunate and we need to work to keep our fortune." Serena's eyes light up slightly with hope at the words Spencer is saying. She doesn't respond or move until she is sure that she's hearing what she thinks she's hearing. "This morning I messed up. I put someone else before our family and I know that was wrong. Please don't misinterpret what happened this morning. Believe it or not, I'm incredibly happy to have you back in my life, to have another opportunity at happiness with you. I honestly think I'm ready to take advantage of this situation and try to put the pieces of our relationship back together."

With tears in her eyes, Serena stands before Spencer speechless. He had just said everything she always wished he would say whenever she reentered her life. However, something felt off to her. She frowns in response to her line of thinking. Spencer moves towards her to embrace her. She gives him a small smile as his arms wrap around her but he notices that she isn't responding the way he hoped she would. "Baby, what's wrong?"

She sighs heavily, "I feel like the only reason you're making this decision because we have children. Don't get me wrong. I want to work on being together. I just hope your love for your children isn't disillusioning you about your feelings towards me."

"Serena, I've thought about this long and hard. We have a lot to work out. You and I both know that. The thing is I want to work it out now." As Serena still doesn't looked convinced, Spencer continues, "You're right. When I first found out everything, I had no intention of working on any type of relationship with you but I can't deny the connection we have. Right now is the perfect time to figure out if we can move past what happened or if we need to go our separate ways."

Serena sighs heavily again. "I think I can deal with that."

"Okay," Spencer says simply trying to assess where his wife's head is. "Can I sleep in here tonight?"

"Oh," Serena exclaims waking from a slight daze, "I was wondering why you wanted to talk in here." She laughs faintly.

"This needs to be our room again. Tonight can be a fresh start for us in here." Spencer tells his wife further apologizing for the events of the morning.

"That would be great." She answers in agreement.

Spencer pecks Serena on the lips before leaving the room to gather his things for bed. Serena decides to take a shower while he's gone to think about the future.

Later, the two lay in the same bed but their minds in different worlds. Serena lay in her husband's arms but she didn't feel secure. The trust was missing in their relationship and now they had to rebuild. It was scary. However, they were facing their fear together. Serena finally had the opportunity to make things up to her husband and she didn't want to ruin her chance. Likewise, Reid could only think about all the time he had missed with Serena. He wants to make sure he cherishes every moment he is now able to spend with her and doesn't mess another moment up the way he had this morning. Thoughts of starting over may have them in different worlds tonight; however, it could only bring them closer in the future…they hoped.


	13. Chapter 13: Romance Could be the Answer

"We haven't had sex."

"Reid, you told your wife that you wanted to commit to being with her a week ago, a whole week ago, man. What do you mean you haven't had sex?"

"We're focused on the case and the kids mostly. When we get into the bedroom, the mood never feels right. I don't know what to do."

"Set the mood. If the mood isn't working for you, create a new mood that does work for you."

"I don't know if she really wants to have sex though."

Morgan looks at Reid as though he's grown two heads. "Why would her mind have changed that drastically within a week?"

"I think it has something to do with when I picked up the phone to talk to Dylan."

"Okay," Morgan nods slowly, "That was stupid. But it doesn't mean your girl doesn't want to be with you. If anything, she's just trying to protect herself. That means you have a problem though because your wife shouldn't be trying to protect herself from you. You should make her feel secure and maybe that's all she needs in order to be in the mood."

Reid frowns digesting what Morgan says. "I don't know what I can do to make her feel secure."

"Reid, maybe you're not quite ready to make love to her. Do you still have feelings for Dylan?"

There's a long pause before Reid starts to speak. "Don't worry about it," Morgan says, "I think you just answered my question."

"No, I didn't," Reid insists. "I know I love Serena more. I feel bad that my past came back to haunt my relationship with Dylan. I still care about her and I want her to be happy but that doesn't mean I wish she could be happy with me. She deserves so much better than what she has had to deal with recently with me."

"Maybe you need to apologize to her. A clear conscience might help you commit better to Serena."

"That just seems so unfair."

"It might be but it's the best thing to help everyone move forward."

Serena walks around the corner looking stressed. She takes the two men in for a moment before she wraps her arms around her husband and lays her head on his chest. Her husband immediately begins rubbing her back and kisses her on the top of her head.

"Is everything okay?" Reid asks concerned.

"Yeah, I think it's just this whole situation is getting to me and sometimes I have to remind myself I'm not alone in this anymore."

"You're right. I'm here for you. I want you to lean on me. Okay?"

Serena looks up into Spencer's eyes. She's hesitant but nods in response.

"Has there been any new developments?" Morgan asks relieving himself of the slightly awkward moment.

"No. That's the problem. It's like they're taking a break to form a new tactic and there's possibly something much bigger in the works which means we need to get ahead of them." Serena bats tears out of her eyes, "But I don't know if we can, we've basically gotten nowhere in the past couple of years. How are we going to get ahead of them now?"

"Serena, we're working together on this now." Morgan says to comfort her, "There is more manpower devoted to making sure that our family stays safe. We can catch these guys. You're going to need to have faith in us. We will keep you safe."

Serena feels herself start to unravel. As her shoulders begin to shake, Morgan allows Reid to take his wife into his office.

Reid sits down on the couch in Morgan's office and directs his wife onto his lap where he holds her not saying anything. Once she calms, he looks down at her and reassures her that everything is going to be okay. Serena nods but there is a strange look on her face.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Reid asks concerned that he hasn't quelled all of her worry.

Serena frowns up at him unsure of her next words. After a minute, she manages at a whisper, "I didn't realize we haven't had sex yet."

Spencer is shocked by her statement. She was just crying about life or death and out of nowhere she is thinking about sex. "What makes you say that?"

She looks up at him shyly through her eyelashes. "I can feel you."

Spencer's eyebrows raise surprisingly mortified by his wife's admission. He thought his body would control itself when he'd sat his wife on his lap but apparently it's been so long that he couldn't even control it. "Yeah, I guess I didn't realize how much I missed you."

Serena looks at her hands and nods. "I miss you, too. I'm not sure that I'm ready yet. However, I am willing to try if that's what you really want."

"I'm not trying to force you. I'm not complaining. I honestly am surprised my body even betrayed me."

"I know but I don't want you to stray."

"Serena, I'm not going anywhere."

"You have needs, Spencer."

"You don't have to meet them, right now. We're going through a lot. We can revisit this later. Take all the time you need."

Serena nods and sighs. After a moment, she slowly slides off of his lap and down to the floor. As she positions herself on her knees in front of her husband, there is a knock on the door. Spencer groans as Serena springs to her feet.

Garcia appears at the door. "Hey, you two, we need extra eyes in here. There might be another pattern. No rush just as soon as you can."

Spencer stands and Serena looks at him apologetically. He smiles down at her and she stands on her toes for a kiss. Spencer pecks his wife on the lips and she looks at him confused. Serena takes her husband's head in her hand and stands on her toes to caress his lips with hers. Spencer forcefully pulls her close and proceeds to kiss his wife passionately unleashing as much sexual tension possible as his tongue caresses and collides with hers. Serena moans at Spencer's assault. One of his arms is across her back pinning her to him and the other is planted at her hips as he possessively grabs her bottom. Spencer is about to lean his wife back onto the couch when the door opens. He pulls back slightly as he looks in the doorway where Hotch is standing with an admonishing look. "Reid, we need you in the roundtable room now. You too, Serena."

"Coming." They say in unison and without looking at each other they exit the room but Serena whispers, "We'll finish this later." Reid smirks but he's unsure if it's the right call for his marriage. As he thinks about his life now compared to a month ago, he contemplates Morgan's advice.


	14. Chapter 14: Answer My Prayers

There's been no break in the case. The twins were wired and restless when she got home but after an exhaustingly long bath and three bedtime stories Serena was able to get her children to sleep. Now, all she wants to do is crawl into bed and rest herself but she knows tonight she has to attend to her husband. She stands in the middle of her bathroom after having taken a quick shower and remembers her interaction with Spencer earlier. That has never happened in the past; however, their intimate relationship has also never been this strained. She shakes her head at all the thoughts running through her mind. How did she and Spencer get here?

Shoulders braced, Serena walks into her closet to a section that she hasn't been to in years. Opening a drawer, she steps back in awe as she evaluates the plethora of lingerie she owns that hasn't seen the light of day since the day she forced her husband out of her life. Although Spencer has never expressed a particular interest in her undergarments, Serena saw a light in his eyes every time she wore something sexy. She can't help but laugh as she finds a medium length soft blue and pink floral pattern that Spencer didn't like. She recalls the confused expression on his face as his wife stepped out in the garment that was not her usual style. Serena had discarded the piece from her body immediately upon seeing it wasn't producing the right response from her husband and the outfit was never repeated or spoken about again.

"Damn." She observes that some of the pieces even still have tags on them. She decides to pick out something she has never worn for him before to further symbolize a fresh start. There are quite a few different colors represented in the drawer but Serena wants to go for something not too sexy but not too meek just the same. She wants her lingerie to invoke a sense of urgency in her husband to make love to her. It only takes a couple of minutes before she finds the perfect one.

Spencer is sitting on the bed in his pajamas with case files all around him. He can't find a new pattern and he knows he is too distracted to do so. If he is going to help protect his family, this will not do. He knows why he is distracted and it has everything to with the situation itself. He has his wife back but it's not the same and he has to work on the case and putting his family back together at the same time. This includes reigniting his intimacy with his wife. He is certainly frustrated looking at her and not touching her. The connection they have is so strong that even when they're not on the best of terms he wants to be as close to her as possible. He knows that once they are together again their bond will be stronger for better or worse. That's what scares him and is distracting him the most right now. Is Serena ready to give herself completely over to him right now or should they wait until she's fully secure in his recommitment to her?

Simultaneously, Spencer is distracted from his thoughts as his phone rings and Serena emerges from the closet. He looks at his phone and as though she has ESP about his sex life, Dylan is the caller. Unfortunately, he can't take the call this time and turns the phone to silent as he watches his wife walk toward him. Spencer sees the hesitation on her face as she evaluates the phone is his hand but she doesn't stop walking toward him or mention it. He knows she is determined to make this their moment. He can even tell she made a conscious effort in what she's wearing as the baby pink nightie she is adorned in perfectly accents her feelings tonight. She wants him to know that even though she's hesitant to restart this part of their relationship she is committed to being his wife in every way.

This is what worries Spencer. Although his body is already responding to her presence, he realizes that she may resent him for forcing her into this before she's ready. Before he is even aware, Serena has crawled onto his lap straddling him. She doesn't bother asking him about what's distracting him and instead kisses him softly. He responds just as gently. If this is going to happen, it needs to be done right. They stay embraced like that for several minutes simply enjoying the feel of each other, their tongues intertwined, Spencer rubbing her back with one hand and holding her head with the other and Serena holding on tight to her husband searching for reassurance with every touch.

"You're so beautiful," Spencer whispers against her lips causing Serena to smile. "I'll understand if you want to wait." Spencer looks Serena sincerely in her eyes. "Be honest with me. Are you really ready?"

Serena sighs heavily and pecks her husband on the lips. He pulls away. He is serious about talking about this. "I love you and I'm not wearing any panties. I think I'm as ready as I'm going to be." Spencer's eyes widen in shock for a moment and then he smirks at his wife's humor as she giggles.

"Serena," he shakes his head unable to let it go, "I need to know this is right."

"I honestly don't have an answer for you, Spencer, but I do know that you're ready. That's what is important to me right now. I got us into this mess and I need for you to be happy."

"This isn't the way."

"This isn't your way but it's what I want to do."

"Well, we've lived enough of our lives doing what you think is best. Now, we need to come to an agreement."

"We have. Your body and my mind have both decided that we are going to make love tonight."

Spencer shakes his head while Serena moves into another kiss. This time there is an urgency as her mouth caresses his. He moans at his wife's persistence for this night to be about him. He's a lucky man. Serena pushes Spencer so he's lying flat. She leans over top of him while grinding her pelvis against his. Spencer forfeits his fight to stop his wife as he allows his hands to wander under her nightie to explore her pantyless bottom. Oh my God, did he miss this. They simultaneously try to remove each other's clothes as Spencer's shirt comes off at the same time as Serena's nightie. Spencer lays back to look up at his completely naked wife sitting on top of him. He slowly caresses her stimulating all of her body starting with her thighs, grasping her hips, stroking her stomach, and finally kneading her breasts. As Serena moans on top of him, Spencer knows he can't wait any longer. He flips his wife over and makes quick work of discarding his pants. He kneels over top of her and then realizes…

"Mommy," SJ's voice is a whisper through the baby monitor. The parents look at each other alarmed. This can't be happening. They wait to see if their son is just talking in his sleep but as his whisper turns into whimpering they know their time is up for the moment. Serena removes herself from under Spencer and hastily finds her robe. "Don't fall asleep," Serena says adamantly as she exits the room to go to the nursery.

"Mommy!" Sky says as Serena enters the room.

 _Oh, great. They're both awake._ Spencer puts his pants back on to assist his wife in the nursery. He now wonders why he even asked Serena if she was ready because if the twins or anyone else has anything to do with it, they won't be having sex for a long, long time.


	15. Chapter 15: Prayers Sent to Heaven

"Ahhh," Serena's own moan wakes her from a deep sleep. She's surprised by the sound that she's making until she registers the overwhelming sensation of pleasure coming from her core. Her head is thrown back as she realizes that there is something warm and wet covering her clit, sucking and stroking her just the way she always liked. She manages to prop herself up on her elbows to find Spencer in between her legs attentively working to please her. He smiles as his eyes meet hers. "Good morning," he whispers against her pussy sending chills down her spine. It doesn't take long after for Serena to come for the first time in over two years.

Spencer crawls over top of his wife as her body spasms riding out her orgasm. Serena is suddenly very awake and very exhausted. She wants nothing more than to be able to curl up beside him and go back to sleep but she knows her husband didn't wake her up for just her pleasure. She hadn't realized her eyes had been closed until she made herself look at Spencer. The lascivious look in his eyes reaffirms for her that this is just the beginning of their tryst.

"Mommy." Serena hears SJ say through the baby monitor. _Poor Spencer,_ Serena thinks to herself as she starts to get up to check on her baby boy. She hopes his fever stayed down throughout the night. She's looking around to find where she left her robe when she notices Spencer has not moved off of her. She frowns at him confused but then she hears a familiar voice.

"Mommy needs to rest, SJ, but Grand is here and she's going to take good care of you."

Serena looks at the time. It's 4:30am. She's only been asleep for 2 hours. She moans in frustration. "Why's my mom here?"

"She's going to take care of SJ while we get some sleep."

Serena smirks at her husband's use of air quotes. Then, she frowns. "I really do need some rest and I want to be able to take care of SJ."

"I don't need a whole day, Serena."

"I know, but I think we need more than a couple of hours."

Spencer frowns missing the point.

"I want enough time to really reconnect with you."

Spencer arches his eyebrow still not fully understanding his wife's hesitation.

Serena huffs exasperated at his lack of understanding. "Like, I want to be able to cuddle…in between times…and really enjoy it. Right now, I'm so sleepy and my baby is sick and needs me."

"Ugh, your mom was right. I should've taken you to a hotel as soon as she got here."

"What?! She said that?"

"Yes, baby. Your mom knows you would want to take care of your son but I promise you she is more than capable of taking care of SJ and you know she'll keep you updated."

Serena's miffed by her mom and Spencer working together. She is evaluating her surroundings further as she realizes she's completely undressed as is her husband. She can't remember falling asleep this way. _He must really want this, need this,_ she thinks to herself.

"Okay."

Spencer's lips are on hers before she can even say anything else. He hesitates over top of her, shakes his head, and carefully yet hastily finally lowers himself inside his wife. Serena cries out from the foreign yet so familiar feeling. The fullness of her husband inside of her almost makes her shatter again instantly. Serena notes that Spencer is taking this reunion seriously as he looks deeply and lovingly in her eyes, holding her hands in his, as he thrusts slowly in and out of his wife. His love making is just what the doctor ordered to make her feel secure in her relationship.

He kisses her passionately and as their tongues intertwine they both know it won't be long. Spencer moves one hand and caresses her down Serena's side past her thigh until he reaches her knee which he pushes closer to her body so that he can thrust deeper. The only time he moves his lips from hers is to whisper "I love you." This profession is Serena's undoing as she calls out Spencer's name in the final throes and his name on her lips is his. He collapses on top of her.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Mmm, I didn't think it was going to be bad. I knew how good it was going to be. That's the problem."

"I don't think we had any problems."

Serena looks at her husband and shakes her head. She rubs his back. "I've missed this."

"I should probably get off of you, actually."

"No," Serena groans, "I like the feel of your weight on me."

He frowns. "Ok."

He kisses her neck softly as they stay connected for the first time in so long.

"Again?" she asks.

Spencer laughs, "Not yet, but soon." He looks to his vibrating phone on the bedside table. It's a Saturday so he hopes it isn't work. He picks it up. Serena winces as he finally has to pull out of her to do so. "Sorry," he says.

"Who is it?"

"Dylan." Spencer says as he puts down the phone.

"She called last night too, didn't she?"

"Yeah. I'll call her back tomorrow."

Serena nods. "Is she the reason you hesitated?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Both times you were about to…we were about to start, you hesitated as though you were thinking of a reason you might not want to…do this."

Spencer shifts so he's on his side facing his wife. He swallows hard. "That wasn't the problem. I knew I wanted to make love to you..." Serena frowns not believing his words. Spencer sighs and continues, "I was about to ask you if you were on any type of birth control…but then I decided that I didn't care."

Serena's eyes widen in disbelief. She sits up panicked, "Spencer, I'm not. I wish you would have asked me. I didn't even think about it. How could we be so stupid? What if I get pregnant? We can't have a baby right now!"

Spencer is unmoved.

"Why isn't this bothering you?"

"I might want another baby."

"Spencer!" Serena is way past exasperated. "Not now. Our relationship isn't where it needs to be for a baby and if you have forgotten we are being hunted by criminals. Now is the worst time."

"We were being hunted by criminals when you had the twins. They're here and fine."

"Do you know how hard that was?"

"Yeah, I do. I lost my family because of it."

Serena doesn't know how to react. Her eyes start to water. "That's not fair."

"Don't start with that."

"You haven't forgive me. I thought you had forgiven me."

"I have but the fact of the matter is I missed out on the twins' birth, their first two years of life and your pregnancy. I want to experience all of that. It might be selfish but it is how I feel."

Serena looked down miserable. "Spencer, I'm sorry. I feel awful that you missed all of that. Right now, I don't feel is the right time though. You haven't forgiven me. Everything you just said proved that. Impregnating me without talking to me about it. I can't even form the words."

"We don't know if you're pregnant."

"But there's a chance."

"We can have a baby. It's not that big of a deal."

"You have lost your mind. Once we catch these guys, we can revisit this I promise. But right now if I'm not already pregnant, we're not having a baby."

"So what you're going to stay away from me? You can't start birth control until you know."

She groaned aloud. He knew she wasn't a fan of the morning after pill. "You can wear condoms."

"No."

Serena goes to get off the bed but Spencer grabs her wrist. "Spencer, let go."

Spencer scoffs, "So much for taking care of my needs."

Serena sinks back into the bed. "Is there anything else I can do for you besides have another baby? I don't want this moment to be completely ruined. I really did, do want to focus on you."

Spencer shakes his head which hangs low from hurt and exhaustion, "No."

"Do you want me to stay in here with you or should I go check on SJ?" Serena honestly is still worried about her baby but her mother is taking care of him and even though she is appalled by his line of thinking she still needs to take care of her husband.

"I don't care. Do whatever you want. You always do."

Serena frowns but doesn't argue back. She swings her legs back up on the bed and under the covers as she curls herself into her husband laying her head on his chest. He instinctively wraps his arm around her.

 _At least they were still communicating,_ they each think to themselves.


	16. Chapter 16: Heaven Could Only Know

"Well, look at us. A couple of married men with smiles on our faces at 8 in the morning. That could only mean one thing. Did you have an extra good morning, too, Pretty Boy?"

Reid laughs and shakes his head. Morgan was very right. Reid's intimate relationship with his wife had gotten much better over the past month despite the argument that occurred during their reunion.

The few days that had followed their first tryst since Serena's departure were filled with a lot of tension. Even though he knew Serena was serious about their relationship, Spencer could tell she had trouble accepting the position that he had put her in. She would kiss him lovingly but wouldn't accept any advances for more and it would create an awkward vibe between them. Spencer could only take so much of that so he had their security detail make a pit stop before going home that Friday night. He can still remember the look of confusion that crossed Serena's face as he pulled her into the pharmacy that evening. As he held her hand walking down the aisles, a look of pure shock donned her face as he picked up a box of condoms and showed them to her for her approval. "I don't really know," she said bashfully, "I haven't used those since we first met." Then her mood turned sour. "What's wrong?" She shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just sure you've had more recent experience with them." She sighed increasingly uncomfortable. "Can we just go?" Before she could turn and walk away, he grabbed her hand and led her to the counter. Her feelings had quickly changed from agitation to embarrassment again. When they got in the car, he had pulled his wife on his lap and whispered simply, "I love you." Since that moment, they had been perfectly in sync. They had even agreed that they would wait a couple of months before trying to add on to their family so that they could give their relationship time to grow.

"So did you initiate or were you lucky enough to wake up to a wanting wife?" Morgan snaps Reid out of his memory.

Reid gasps at Morgan's audacious inquiry but decides it's nice to be able to have this type of conversation. It feels normal and for he and Morgan, long overdue. "I honestly can't remember. I think it was both of us. I just know there were a few short seconds between me opening my eyes and…"

"Her opening her thighs."

Reid's eyes widen as he laughs once again at his friend's boldness but then admits, "Yeah that pretty much describes it."

"So besides what you're doing to keep her happy, how is she?"

"She's okay. I can tell it's wearing on her that we haven't had any new leads. It's honestly starting to feel like we're going to have to live our whole lives looking over our shoulders. It's hard thinking our children might have to grow up that way."

Morgan nods. "I can't imagine. If my child were facing those threats, I don't know what I would do."

"Serena's handled this so well. She gives me strength when I probably should be doing that for her."

"Don't sell yourself short, Kid. I'm sure she's getting a lot of support from you. She's probably glad that you're around after all of that time apart. The mere fact that she can share the good and the bad with you is probably enough."

Reid smiles and nods. "My kids are amazing."

Morgan laughs, "Look at you, proud dad. Yeah, you do have some great kids. That Sky is a trip."

"Yeah, she's so smart. I wish I could have seen her grow into her personality."

"You're going to watch her grow into an amazing kid, an oh so challenging teen, and a world changing adult. She won't even remember her life without you so you shouldn't think too much on it either."

"I know. They just grow so fast. It's just hard not to think about the time I've missed."

Morgan's brow furrows, "Reid, do you want another kid?"

Reid sighs and tilts his head. "Yes."

"Have you talked to Serena about it?"

"Yeah," Reid sighs again more heavily, "I kind of tried to force her into having another one."

Morgan's eyes widen twice their size, "Reid, what did you do?"

"The first time we were together again…I may have knowingly went into the situation without any protection."

"Isn't that a two way street? She's not on birth control?"

"I guess she could never knowingly cheat so she never got back on it after she gave birth to the twins." Reid can't help the smug smile that crosses his face.

Morgan ignores Reid's victory smirk and proclaims, "She still should have known."

"I was kind of the one in control of the situation and I didn't give her much time to think."

"Well, she's obviously not pissed so are you guys trying?"

"No. She was pissed initially but we worked through it. We're going to revisit it in a couple of months so hopefully we can catch these guys before then."

Morgan smiles, "Well, I'm happy for you, Reid. It looks like you're going to be able to experience those early years after all."

"As long as we catch these guys but they've been dormant for so long who knows when they could resurface."

A new case has the team working in the roundtable room around 3pm when Reid's phone rings and his face immediately drops.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Dylan. She's in the hospital. She's been attacked."

"Where's Daddy?" Sky inquires as shoves another chicken nugget in her mouth.

"Mommy's not sure, baby. Keep eating and I'll find out." Serena isn't too worried. She and Spencer aren't always home in time for dinner so she figures he is just held up at work. She calls anyway just to appease her baby girl.

"Hello," her husband answers and she can automatically tell something is off.

"Hey, baby, Sky was asking about you so I decided to call. Is everything okay?"

"No. Dylan was attacked today at her house. We think it relates to our case. They didn't kill her because she wasn't involved in their take down but it's definitely a message that they know what's going on in our lives."

"And possibly to get you away from me? Is security with you?"

"Yes. Is everything okay there?"

"Yes. Spencer, we're going to have to get all the routes checked from the hospital to home before we know it's safe for you to travel."

"I didn't even think about that. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We just need to get you home safe."

"I could just stay at the hospital tonight while they do the sweep."

"Spencer, that leaves hours for something bad to happen. I want you home as soon as possible."

"With heavy police surveillance, I don't think anything bad is going to happen tonight. Plus, I kind of want to stay here to get updates on Dylan's condition."

"Is she bad off?"

"She's conscious. They're just doing tests for long term effects."

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

"Is that Sky?"

"Yeah," Serena smiles at her little girl. "You need to get home, Spencer. I'm going to call in the sweep. As soon as they give the all clear, I want you home, alright?"

"Serena…"

"Daddy," SJ says meekly looking up at his mother on the phone.

Even though his voice is low, Spencer can still hear his son, "I'll be home as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

The sweep is done within an hour but when two hours pass and Spencer is still not home, Serena is beyond worried. Even worse, it's the twins' bedtime and they will not go down with seeing their father. They try FaceTime but it upsets the twins even more. He explains he's waiting for a few more details on Dylan's condition and he will be home soon.

After two more hours with restless children, Serena calls her husband again. "Where are you?"

"I'm still at the hospital," Reid says hastily, "Dylan's condition changed and she just went into surgery."

"Oh no," Serena sighs heavy hearted. _This is all my fault._

"I'm probably going to be here awhile."

"Daddy!" SJ cries in the background. "I want Daddy."

"Is he still up?"

"They both are. I can't get them to sleep. They want you."

"Oh. I didn't think they would miss me."

"You've been grounded in DC until we catch the people after us. The twins haven't spent a night away from you since they've met you."

"Shit! I'm sorry."

"Come home, Spencer." Serena's plea is a whisper masking her renewed worry that she and her children may not be enough for her husband.

"Serena…I'll see what I can do."

 _A/N: Please review and let me know how you feel about the way the story is unfolding. I'm a huge fan of Dr. Reid and I want to see him with someone special. I'm hoping Season 12 is his season. Thanks for reading!_


	17. Chapter 17: Heaven Could Only Know, Pt 2

"I know. Mommy wants Daddy, too."

"When did he say he'd be home?" Cyrus, Serena's dad, asks irritated.

"I don't know, Dad." Serena says dejected.

"I can't believe he would stay at the hospital when he knows the kids are waiting for him. It's unlike Spencer and it's completely unacceptable."

"I think I ruined him, Dad." Serena states as she strokes Sky's back. Her daughter lays on top of her on the living room couch watching videos of Spencer on an iPad. SJ sits on the floor with his maternal grandparents with his bedtime storybooks listening to his grandmother read him what has to be his tenth story for the night.

"You didn't ruin him," her parents say in unison.

"He just needs time," her mom states.

"He needs to be a man and realize he has responsibilities," her dad insists.

As her dad becomes angrier by the minute, Serena notices her son moving toward the entrance of the room. Then, she hears the reason. "Hi, SJ. Hey, baby boy. I'm sorry I'm late. I missed you. Did you miss me?" Serena sees Spencer enter the room with their son in his arms. She sees SJ nod in response to his dad's question. Serena fights back tears at seeing her husband enter room as her baby girl squeals in delight.

"Hi, Sky." Spencer smiles brightly as he kneels in front of the couch to kiss his daughter's cheek. He nods an apologetic hello toward Serena's parents then turns toward his wife. "Hi." He pecks her lips but she doesn't say anything.

"I apologize for the time. I didn't realize my absence was going to cause all of the chaos. I'm new to the dad thing and getting used to husband thing again." He looks at Serena intently. "I hope you all can forgive me."

"This better be the first, last, and only time this happens, son, or else we're going to have some problems. You had one lapse in judgement that we can all move past but I don't want to see my baby girl and my grandchildren feeling this way again. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Well, honey. I love you. I hope everything went okay and goes okay with your friend but it is late and the old man and I have to go to sleep." Celine tries to lighten the mood as she lifts herself off the floor.

Spencer laughs. "Thank you. I love you guys, too. Thank you so much for being here. I promise to make sure it doesn't happen again for any reason other than work."

"I believe you, Spencer." Celine says as her husband huffs. She leans down kissing her daughter and granddaughter on the head saying her goodbyes.

"Bye, Mom. I love you." Serena basically whines.

Her mother gives her a knowing smile. Serena doesn't want her parents to leave her alone with her husband but unfortunately for Serena, Celine believes her daughter needs to face the music.

Serena sits upright as Spencer lifts Sky off of her lap after his in-laws departure. With both twins in his arms, Spencer faces his wife, "I'm going to put them to bed."

"Okay, I'm coming. I don't want them to cry because I'm not there too."

As soon as the twins hit their cribs with both parents in the room, they are asleep. Serena sighs heavily with relief as she exits the nursery and heads to her bedroom. Spencer follows behind her and wraps his arms around her from behind. He kisses her cheek and whispers in her ear, "I'm sorry, Serena. I'm so sorry."

Serena rolls her eyes. "I just want to go to bed. We can talk about this tomorrow."

"I don't want you to go to bed mad at me."

"I honestly don't know how I feel right now."

"Can we make love?"

Serena turns around and looks at her husband astounded by his audacity. "Spencer, no," Serena hears her voice rising. "Surprisingly, I'm not in the mood after having to beg you to come home to me." She chokes back her tears.

"That's not how I saw it. I know you're mad at me but I just want to show you how much I love you."

"Not tonight." Serena manages as she gets in bed and turns her back to her husband.

He crawls in the other side and Serena flips around so she doesn't have to face him. Spencer knows he messed up but he feels like Serena should know that he only loves her and that he was there at the hospital to be a supportive friend if that's what you could call his relationship to Dylan. Despite her obvious signs that she wants space, Spencer still pulls his wife close. She doesn't stop him but he can feel her tension. He rubs her arms to try to comfort her but she doesn't loosen up. He nuzzles her neck and plants tiny kisses there but this has the opposite result that Spencer wants. Serena turns around with a dangerous look on her face. "I said not tonight."

"I just want to make you feel better. Serena, I love you and I don't want you to feel insecure about us."

"Then next time, come home when you're asked. Next time, call me when you are on your way to the hospital. Or maybe, you shouldn't let there be a next time."

"Serena, I'm sorry. You're right. I don't know what else to say."

Serena turns away from Spencer once more allowing a tear to roll down her face. "Don't say anything. Let's just go to sleep." Once more, Spencer risks putting his arms around his wife and again she doesn't fight him. He's hoping this is a sign that she'll forgive him but he fears he may have overplayed his betrayed husband card.

In the middle of the night, Spencer wakes up to find Serena has gotten out of bed. He looks in the bathroom but she's not there. He looks in a few of the guest bedrooms figuring she just wants to sleep in a separate room. Before he retires back to his room, he peaks in the nursery to check on the twins. He is shocked to find Serena on the floor of the nursery in between the twins' cribs. She has made herself a pallet with lots of pillows and blankets. His heart breaks seeing her there but at least she didn't kick him out.

"I love you." He says into the room just because that's how he's feeling and leaves his family to get a goodnight sleep. He decides to make tonight up to them starting in the morning and probably for the rest of his life.

…

"Spencer! Oh my, God!" Serena shouts as she turns to find her husband in the shower with her.

He laughs at her surprise then pulls her close for a deep, meaningful kiss. "I love you." She can't help but to smile up at him but she doesn't return his words. Noticing, he continues, "I was hoping you wouldn't be as mad at me this morning." He pulls her closer so she understands the full extent of his inquiry. She shakes her head but the smile doesn't completely disappear. "Not right now…but maybe tonight."

Spencer smiles even though it is not the exact response he wanted. He is happy that she is willing to forgive him. He's not sure why they can't celebrate that fact right now but he is going to make sure to make tonight special.

Serena's mood shifts for the worse, however, when the twins still have not awaken before she leaves. She gives Spencer an accusatory look before she gets in her secured SUV to go to work. Spencer still kisses her goodbye before he gets in his own to go to Quantico.

…

Prior to going to work, Spencer decides to stop at the hospital and visit Dylan. She's conscious when he arrives and he gets to talk to her and apologize for everything that his situation has put her through. She accepts his apology and suddenly Spencer feels much better. At least, one woman isn't angry at him right now. He sits with her for an hour having more light-hearted and positive conversation. He'd missed this. Before he knows it, the time urges him to get to work. He promises to visit her again soon but tells her it won't be after work. She laughs at his joke and he's on his way.

When he reaches the lobby, he sees Serena coming through the entrance. Her face shows her surprise at seeing him there not instantly registering the reason he would be.

"Serena, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" Spencer is struck with panic at seeing his wife in the hospital.

She looks at him confused by his questions. "Spencer, I'm obviously fine. What are you doing here?"

"I decided to visit Dylan before work. We don't have a case right now." Spencer mumbles unsure of his wife's reaction.

She rolls her eyes and frowns. "Well, I have to go. I'll see you at home." She goes to walk away but Spencer questions her further.

"You didn't tell me why you're here."

"I have a doctor's appointment."

"Are you sick? Do you need me to come with you?"

"I'm not sick. I've had it scheduled for a while. It's not necessary that you come."

In an effort to demonstrate to his wife that he is there for her, Spencer insists, "I want to come with you."

"Okay," Serena agrees as she leads him upstairs to her doctor's office.

Spencer is letting Hotch know the reason he will be even later when they reach the office door. As he goes to open the door for her, his eyes graze over the name on the door. He turns to his wife, eyes wide as he sees OB/GYN behind the doctor's name.

"Are you…"


End file.
